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Thirty third edition - January 2004
 January, the start of a new year; an optimistic
month and a time to shake off the gloom of the dreary, dark months of early winter..
I enjoy a leisurely session wandering around some of our local garden centres at this time
of year, evaluating what`s new or trendy without the hassle of the summer time visitors.
Also the staff seem to have more time to stop and answer questions or just chat. It
is particularly enjoyable walking round the heated greenhouses with their glorious scent
of indoor flowering plants and not difficult to imagine for a moment being in a tropical
jungle.
It can be a mild month, which allows us to have a few hours
pottering in the garden, getting some much valued fresh air and exercise, wrapped up well
with plenty of layers of course. Gone are the days it seems, of closing our gardens up for
the winter months, as recent milder winters in the UK allow all year round gardening. So
instead of paying for expensive sessions in the gym, get out in the garden for some
invigorating and healthy exercise..
Tips and jobs for the month.. (Depending on the
weather of course!)
Bad weather tips and jobs
If we have snow, try to clear it off the trees and shrubs as soon as you
can, to stop it bending or breaking the branches. Use a long-handled broom to knock it
off.
Don`t walk on frosty lawns as the black footprints left behind will take ages to
disappear
In prolonged frosty weather keep a small area of your pond ice-free.
This allows the escape of gases resulting from the decomposition of vegetation on the
bottom of the pond, which if trapped may asphyxiate the fish.
After a sharp frost check that winter bedding such as wallflowers has
not been lifted. If this happens await the thaw and firm the plants back. Prune off any
frost blackened stems from shrubs.
Turn off the water supply to your outside tap and make sure there is no
residue water in the pipes.
Cover any tender plants with paper or horticultural fleece if frost is
expected.
Indoor jobs
Wash and disinfect any seed trays or pots that are going to be used
during the coming season.
You can make early sowings of fine seeded bedding plants like
petunia, lobelia and fibrous rooted begonias in a heated propagator, but they cannot
be put in the garden until June in the UK. Do you really want to nurture them for five
months? Leave seed sowing until April if you can..
Sow greenhouse tomatoes, peppers and aubergines in heat
Bring potted bulbs such as hyacinths and narcissi indoors when the
buds are just showing. Place them first in a cool room with as light a position as
possible to ensure the foliage grows slowly and evenly with getting `leggy`
Exhibition onions should be sown under glass. Use a soil-based compost
and keep in full light, but cool and frost-free.
Take some time right now to plan this year's vegetable plot so that you
know what to order.
Choose this year`s flower seeds from your catalogues and place your
orders now to be sure of your first choice of varieties.
Outdoor mild weather jobs
On a mild
day, empty the greenhouse, sweep it out well, wash it down, scrub down timbers and
benches, and generally disinfect with Jeyes Fluid if it is still available (I have
seen it in DIY shops, despite rumours of it being banned)
Get the
vegetable patch or allotment off to an early start, by warming the soil; Place a row of
cloches or a stretch of clear polythene in a sunny area, in preparation for new sowings in
a few weeks time.
You see, there is
absolutely no excuse for piling on those extra pounds with all this gardening waiting to
be done! You will feel so good and invigorated after a couple of hours outside on a
winter`s day..
Laterlife is pleased to support the project below:-
| http://beehive.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/sensorygarden
Designed to stimulate the senses and provide a
haven of peace, a place to chill-out and unwind from the stress of modern living. A garden
designed specifically to be "Positive About Disabled People" and raise funds for
people with Multiple Sclerosis.
Take a
virtual trip around the garden, through different countries, its monthly photo galleries
& artwork, explore and discover the plants, birds and wildlife, water features and
wind-chimes, as we endeavour to describe the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touch of
the various areas.
We hope you enjoy your visit to the Sensory
Garden Project
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And some places to visit...
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.
Kew Gardens two locations:-
http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/
Tel: 020 8332 5655 (24 hr)
Fax: 020 8332 5197Royal Botanic Gardens
Kew
Richmond
Surrey
TW9 3AB |
Tel: 01444 894066 (24 hr)
Fax: 01444 894069 Royal Botanic Gardens
Wakehurst Place
Ardingly
Nr Haywards Heath
West Sussex
RH17 6TN |
The National Botanic Gardens of Scotland comprise:
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Scotland's Premier Garden
Benmore Botanic
Garden, Argyll
Argyll's Magnificent Mountainside Garden
Dawyck Botanic
Garden, Borders
Wonderful Woodland Garden
Logan Botanic
Garden, Galloway
Scotland's Most Exotic Garden
 The National Botanic Garden of Wales
www.gardenofwales.org.uk
The star attraction here is the 91 metre long domed glasshouse, that
houses landscapes normally found in the Mediterranean. This would be a super place to
visit on a chilly day...
Keep the e-mails with
your gardening problems coming
Have a look at previous
editions of Gardener`s Diary
Some websites of interest to gardeners:-
www.alantitchmarsh.co.uk
Alan Titchmarsh MBE, TV gardener, writer, broadcaster and thoroughly nice person.
Just a few choice words to describe the peoples` favourite TV gardener. See his
website....
 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.
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.
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..
Good reading:-
"The Yellow Book" contains information of
all Gardens of England and Wales open for charity, and can be bought priced £5 from
National Gardens Scheme www.ngs.org.uk
National Trust Gardens Handbook is £6.99 and
the new edition is out in May Telephone 01394 389 950 or see their website www.nationaltrust.org.uk
RHS Garden Finder is £12.99 from Dorling
Kindersley www.dk.com
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