Gardener's Diary           November

Fifty fourth edition - November 2005   

The weather has closed in now and the days are short, which is a good opportunity for a spot of armchair gardening to choose next years seeds from gardening catalogues.. 

On a fine day try to get out in the garden because our winters are so long and there are always jobs to do such as planting late tulips, sweeping up leaves and clearing borders of late flowers that have finished..  Or even just tidying the greenhouse or shed!

The papers are full of doom and gloom about the harsh winter we might expect this year, and given that there is a 65% chance of them being correct, I am stocking up with some outside essentials such as rock salt to keep the paths free of ice, batteries for the torches, and candles for indoors if the power goes off.. We have an emergency calor gas stove to cook on, extra tinned and dried food in the cupboards and the freezers are well stocked with essentials. We have also got our trusty generator, which will run our heating and a couple of lights..

It might be prudent for everyone to take some precautions in case of severe weather. We were caught out once and spent a whole week with no power, water, heat, or cooking facilities- it was sheer misery!   

Christmas gifts for someone special who lives far away are difficult to find, but if they are keen gardeners I have a Christmas flowering plant sent directly to them from Thompson & Morgan`s online Christmas catalogue..    While there are still many plants in flower, I am reluctant to go outside and cut them down. The garden remains a riot of colour, with perfect delphiniums in full bloom, vivid begonias and chrysanthemums, along with a host of other out-of-season flowers.

  Things will get tucked up for winter, just a little later than normal.  

• As you pull out the bedding plants that are finished, re-plant with wallflowers, Sweet William, polyanthus and pansies.

• Sweep up leaves as they fall. Once left to gather in piles, they will form a slippery mass which will be so dangerous for unsuspecting older bones. We don`t bounce like we did when we were younger and can easily break an ankle, or worse a hip..

• If you have a graphics programme on your computer, and a scanner, consider making Christmas cards from favourite photos, and don`t forget to start setting aside dried flowers, grasses and twigs ready for making your own Christmas decorations. They will spray beautifully and keep for ages if previously dried...  

• Put all the garden furniture away securely in your shed. Check the padlock too, because burglars like to do their christmas shopping about now, and garden sheds are considered fair game.

• Finally, do some troubleshooting with a quick check on the trees, boundary walls and fences, roof tiles etc., just to ensure they will all endure any possible strong winds. Don`t forget to turn the water supply to your hosepipe off..

There are some lovely things to buy as usual in the latest Thompson & Morgan catalogue and I am busy choosing some seeds for next year: not too many as I have taken to buying the pots of germinated seedlings which are all ready for pricking out and seems a lot less work than growing seed from scratch! In the 'non-gardening' months, take the opportunity to visit a National Trust house and garden ..  Wonderful scenery and superb places to visit, any time of the year..

RHS gardens

Their four flagship gardens not only provide year-round interest and offer a wide range of courses, talks and demonstrations, they also demonstrate the best gardening practices, new techniques and exciting new plants to try in your garden.

• Visit Wisley in Surrey
• Visit Rosemoor in Devon
• Visit Hyde Hall in Essex
• Visit Harlow Carr in North Yorkshire

Or go to their website for a diary of all other events at:-    http://www.rhs.org.uk/WhatsOn/index.asp

Thompson & Morgan 

Visit  www.thompson-morgan.com where full information is available on their product varieties and orders can be taken on-line.  Have a look to see what is new and any special seasonal offers

Royal Botanic Gardens
Kew
Richmond
Surrey
TW9 3AB

Royal Botanic Gardens
Wakehurst Place
Ardingly
Nr Haywards Heath
West Sussex
RH17 6TN