Eighth edition - December 2001.
 Have you done all your garden chores yet, or have you like me,
left a few jobs for a nice winter`s day? The greenhouse will get tidied and cleaned on
a day when I feel the need to be outside, and there are still some bulbs that will get dug
in before the end of December. Of course there is always tidying up to do, and I am still
busy collecting the fallen leaves to put on the compost heap rather than leave them on the
ground to make a soggy mess that is both unsightly and dangerous. If you don`t have a
compost heap put the damp leaves in bin liners tied at the top. Make several holes in the
bags and leave them in a shed or garage. By next year they will have rotted down to
beautiful leaf mould to put on your borders. This is the most colourful Autumn there has
been for quite a few years, and some trees still have leaves clinging tentatively to their
branches, in wonderful shades of yellow, red and orange. They say it is due to the very
warm October we had. Thankfully I have never outgrown the childish habit of shuffling my
feet in crisp fallen leaves that have been blown into heaps by the cold autumn winds, and
am teaching the new puppy my old tricks. Ahh, the simple pleasures are best..
Don`t forget to keep the bird food topped up over the holiday period.
If you are going away ask a neighbour to do this for you. If your pond freezes over make
sure you keep a hole in the ice for the fish to get oxygen, which is another job for the
neighbour..
 My garden really comes into it`s own at this time of year with lots of
flowering and evergreen shrubs, late chysanthemums, bright red barks and the hellebores
foetidus and corsicus that are about to burst into flower.... The brilliant white bark of
the Silver Birch Jacqmondii is always a talking point and my family are convinced
that I paint it... During summertime there is colour everywhere in the garden but during
the winter months the rare sight of a flower is a joy to behold to many people. I always
try to buy Azaeleas, Cyclamens, winter flowering Hyacinths and a pot of Narcissi, just to
keep in the kitchen to cheer me up in the deepest winter. They can be planted in the
garden after flowering, to enjoy in future years. It is important for me to see colour and
flowers in the winter garden, but more about that in January`s edition...
 Christmas is almost upon us once again and those creative gardeners among
you could make your own stunning original decorations, which are both satisfying and fun
to do... First get hold of some florists`oasis, green plastic coated garden wire,
gold and silver decorative Christmas spray in aerosols, some glitter, spray on snow and
some vases or other waterproof containers. Then collect small pieces of holly, ivy,
delicate and interesting looking twigs, dried chinese lanterns, a variety of evergreen
shrubs and cones. Set aside some of these on a newspaper and spray them with the different
colours and the snow. This is best done outside. Practice with different colours
and textures. Before they dry sprinkle a little of the glitter sparingly onto a few of
them. When they have completely dried you can go ahead and be really creative, making
wreaths for the front door, table decorations and arrangements in vases. Oasis can be cut
to different shapes and then hidden by the greenery. Use the wire to keep the stems in
position. Finally, add ribbons and other Christmas baubles for a professional touch. Add
candles for the table decorations and add water to the finished items to keep the greenery
fresh, providing you haven`t put Christmas electric lights in them.
I enjoy making these decorations, and I sometimes give them away as
gifts together with sweets and truffles I had have made...
Last minute stocking fillers suitable for gardening
enthusiasts
Bulbs ready planted in decorative containers, from the supermarket.
Gardening Calender or diary
An azalea or cyclamen from the supermarket
House plant watering can
Decorative plant labels
A packet of their favourite seeds
Bird feeder
Bag of Spring flowering bulbs
Heated propagator
Garden thermometer
Bonsai tree kit
Some
web sites of interest to gardeners:
For
ideas:-
 Thompson and Morgan:
a growing resource for gardeners worldwide. The site includes the international online
seed catalogues, the young plants catalogue (UK only), the wholesale seeds catalogue,
together with the award winning Germination Times and a host of other useful information.
For inspiration:-
www.carryongardening.co.uk
 Gardening is an important part of many people's lives. You don't have to
give up gardening because of accident or illness, the onset of disability or the problems
associated with growing older. The information on their website is designed to provide you
with the information to Carry on Gardening.
Carry on
Gardening was initiated by the horticultural charity Thrive
and is funded by the National Lottery Charities
Board. It brings together information on easy ways of gardening gathered over 23
years by Thrive and research carried out since the early 1970s by Mary Marlborough Centre,
Oxford, on tools and equipment for disabled and older people.
For vision:-
 www.edenproject.com
The
living theatre of plants and people
The Eden Project is a gateway into the world of plants and people. A meeting place for
all to discover how we depend on plants and how we can help to manage and conserve them
for our mutual survival
For indulgence:-
The founder
of www.maple-landscapes.com is my eldest
son.. give him a call if you live in the Leicester area of the UK and have need of his
services..
Have
a look at previous editions of
Gardener`s Diary
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