In the December Garden

Days are getting colder, but continue to clear fallen leaves from your lawns and from beneath plants. If you cram the leaves into bags and punch in a few holes. Then just stack the bags behind the shed (or anywhere else that’s out of sight) and wait for the leaves to turn into fantastic leaf mould. So much better than leaving the leaves to provide shelter for slugs and snails.

If you haven’t already done so, then now is the time to reduce your rose bushes by about a half. This will prevent winter winds from causing damage. Roses are pretty tough, so don't worry too much about overdoing it.

Plant bare-root trees, shrubs and roses. There is a wonderful variety around and in the catalogues. It’s important to keep them well watered as this will encourage the roots to spread out and establish.

Soft fruit bushes will be dormant now, the perfect time for planting new ones as well.

At this time of year garden birds really need our help. Please checke they have a constant supply of both food and fresh water. Feeders will need to be cleaned regularly to prevent the spread of disease.

It’s not too late to plant tulips so fill any empty pots and several on-line firms are offering good discounts at the moment. Come late spring you’ll be so pleased with the resulting blooms.

Order your seed potatoes so you can start chitting in the New Year. Home grown new potatoes cannot be surpassed in my opinion.

Winter prune apple and pear trees. Remove any dead or damaged branches and create a nice open shape to allow good airflow. Winter pruning encourages strong regrowth in spring.

Still, on the subject of pruning, wisteria will now be ready for a trim. Cut the wispy summer-grown shoots back to 2 or 3 buds.

If the weather provides zero motivation to venture out then make a brew and look at the 2021 catalogues and websites, planning what to grow next year. There are some interesting new seeds around if you want to try them out.