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Ninth edition - January 2002
 Now the festivities are behind us, there is more time to get out in
the garden, and re-charge your batteries with some gentle exercise and fresh air, weather
permitting of course. Talking of weather, it`s always difficult writing a column
in advance for, as I write this in mid December, I have, unbelievably, just mowed the
lawn, as the weather is so mild. Our climate really does seem to be changing as Autumn is
lingering longer and Spring coming sooner, making our winters thankfully shorter. However
by the time you read this we could be in the throes of an arctic winter...
All those last minute jobs finally got done, the greenhouse is now
scrubbed and tidied and the bulbs I found sprouting in a corner of the greenhouse have
been planted in the garden. They will flower a little later than normal but will catch up
in subsequent years. That`s the beauty of gardening, there are no hard and fast rules.
Plants are very amenable and if something doesn`t work, try a different approach. Over the
years I have lost very few plants through ignorance.
 January is usually considered to be the month of greenhouse
and armchair gardening, yet outside the snowdrops are beginning to show and shrubs
such as Viburnum Tinus - both variegated and plain versions, Mahonia and Jasminum
nudiflorum are flowering their heads off. In mild conditions you will see unexpected
treasures such as primroses, polyanthus, wallflowers and crocus making an early
appearance. I have planned my garden so that it is full of colour in the winter months.
The majority of my plants, shrubs and trees are evergreens, with different leaf shapes and
colours, so I have a bright cheerful tapestry of interesting cheerful things to look at
out of the windows, and when I go for my daily walk round the garden..
As we are at the beginning of the year and there may be some of you
starting a garden from scratch, or even moving house, the first thing to do is find out
what kind of soil you have in your garden. Soil is the foundation of successful
gardening and constantly needs improving. Any soil will grow something and because of this
gardeners are apt to take their soil for granted and not add anything to it in the way of
fertiliser or compost. But good soil, rich and healthy, can enable a gardener to get twice
the results with half the effort.. The first thing to do then is to get a soil testing kit
from your local garden centre or DIY shop, and test the PH of your soil, thereby getting
an idea of the type of plants your soil will support. You may also have different types of
soil in different parts of your garden. It is easily apparent whether soil is light or
heavy but only a chemical investigation will reveal whether it is acid or alkaline. Once
you have discovered your soil type or types, you can go ahead with suitable planting for
the location and soil type. There are several types of soil testing kits available, those
that allow only a single one-off test, which are priced at about £1, mid range kits that
allow approximately five testings and cost about £5 and finally there is a hand held PH
meter with a probe that`s pushed into the ground giving a quick and easy - but not
necessarily 100% accurate - reading, which will allow repeated testing and last for many
years. I have one of these and for a general guide it is excellent. Priced at about £10
it is worth every penny...
 The other aspect that I consider important when starting a garden from
scratch is to check the drainage.. If your garden is very soggy and the rain water
doesn`t drain away very well, or worse, it drains away towards your house if you`re on a
slope, then it`s well worth considering having your garden land drained. This involves
getting the services of a landscape gardener or builder who will lay a network of pipes
under your soil that will drain the water away either into the main drain or a soakaway.
Yes, you will have the upheaval, but only once, whereas you will never make a decent
garden out of soggy waterlogged ground..
Now you have tested your soil and made sure that the land is well
drained, you are ready to start planning your new garden. If you are less mobile than
you once were, it might be worth considering an easy maintenance garden with lots of level
paved or gravelled areas and low maintenance planting such as Phormium Tenax (green and
bronze,) Senecio, Viburnum Tinus Variegated, Fatsia Japonica, Lonicera Baggesons
Gold, Dogwoods and hardy palms, to name but a few.. your garden design should be tailored
to suit your needs.
When you are
doing your "armchair gardening" with your flower seed catalogues, don`t be
seduced by those pretty faces in the illustrations, check out germination times and
conditions. I once bought some seeds that took - I read on receipt of them - two years to
germinate! I`m afraid they went straight in the bin..
 Keep feeding the wild birds
with food that is rich in carbohydrates, making sure they have water too, especially when
the weather is freezing. If the surface of the pond is frozen make sure there`s a hole in
the ice so that any fish can get oxygen.
Happy gardening till next month....
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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