| Seventh edition - November 2001.
 Last month I wrote about tidying the garden in preparation
for the long winter months, and I have been asked if there are any benefits to leaving
it until the Spring, as advocated by the gardening experts. Well there are benefits, for
even though it has died back and has blackened foliage, vegetation will create a
micro-climate and stop the worst of the frosts from penetrating. Wild life too will be
afforded a degree of protection from the cold. I suppose it is the natural
way of doing things, but personally, having a tidy mind, my eyes are offended by lots of
dead vegetation overwintering in my garden, even if it does look nice with a sprinkling of
frost. It makes the garden look neglected and I prefer to see neat borders. That
doesn`t mean to say I chop everything that needs pruning to the ground in the Autumn.
I am selective, leaving dogwoods and hardy fuschias in particular until the Spring to be
pruned. Frost tender plants such as the giant Gunnera can be covered with it`s own dead
leaves for protection. So, Autumn or Spring, it`s a question of choice...
 I have been checking out the tree ties and supports on trees that we
planted two years ago when we moved here, and was upset to find that, as I had neglected
to do this job earlier in the year, there has been some damage to the tree trunks by the
supports rubbing against the bark. In some cases quite a lot of the bark has been gouged
out. I hope they will be OK. My neglect is partly due to the fact that I can only find
fairly small tree ties in the garden centres and DIY shops, and need to improvise for our
bigger trees which still need support due to our exposed position. My husband has donated
some of his leather belts and has glued 4"x 4" pieces of cork tiles together,
and cut big slits in them to thread the belts through, to act as a buffer between the tree
and support. It works brilliantly...
"Now it`s time to ditch the decking", says Alan Titchmarsh of
BBC`s Ground Force programme, in an October edition of the Daily Mail. He feels
that decking is now very 1990s, has gone too far and is unfashionable. What`s more he
apologises for promoting it so much.. Thankfully I didn`t bother with it as I don`t
like decking - or anything trendy for that matter- but I feel sorry for those people that
went to great expense to follow his advice. It was interesting to read that Mr
Titchmarsh`s next project is a back- to- basics BBC2 show titled "How To Be A
Gardener" which I feel I will enjoy more than all these modern gardening programmes
with arty types who make me think they have run out of ideas.....
I have given the lawn it`s Autumn feed and it has never looked so good,
but the first three lots of mowings cannot be used on the compost heap so I have taken
them to the tip.
 There are still many jobs that need to be done before
beginning a spell of "armchair gardening." It is a good
"maintenance" time, for checking out and repairing garden furniture and perhaps
giving it a lick of paint, and doing any construction jobs that you may have been thinking
about such as new paths, raised flower beds or even a pond. Tidy up the greenhouse and
shed, for if you are anything like me you have been using them as a dumping ground for all
those empty flower pots. Get the gardening tools cleaned and oiled where necessary. You
will feel so good after you`ve done all this... Gardening at this time of
year has a special "feel good" factor about it, as we expend a last spurt of
energy before several months of lazing around the house getting very little exercise, and
over eating... So put those wellies on and get gardening...
I have recently received my Thompson
& Morgan seed catalogue and see that this year they have a lovely idea for an
unusual Christmas gift - a willow-weave basket of snowdrops which have been specially
prepared to make an appearance in the middle of winter. They even enclose a card with your
own personal message and deliver them boxed, by first class post in good time for
Christmas. Priced at just £9.99 you will need to order from their catalogue by the 7th
December to ensure delivery before Christmas, so don`t delay in sending for it...
More good ideas for lasting Christmas presents for your
garden-loving relatives or friends:
A years subscription to a gardening magazine
A gardening book from www.amazon.co.uk
Secateurs or other garden hand tools
Gardening gloves
Gift voucher for a garden centre
Terracotta pots
Decorative house name or number: www.englandsigns.co.uk
Japanese wind chimes
Garden ornaments
Some
seasonal web sites of interest to gardeners:
My all time favourite
seed company is:-
 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.
 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
Finally,
a little indulgence if I may..
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 need his
services..
Foot
and Mouth Disease precautions
Caution is still the
order of the day for the countryside, especially as some people enjoy walking more in the
winter months..
For general
advice and up-to-date details of countryside restrictions, look up the website for the
appropriate local authority who will have information about closures. Alternatively look
at the following websites: www.nationaltrust.org.uk
and www.maff.gov.uk who will have Foot
and Mouth up-dates.
Have
a look at previous editions of
Gardener`s Diary
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