The autumn clean up is complete and in many parts of the country our gardens have been "put to bed" for the winter. This is an important task to ensure the garden is free from habitats that encourage garden pests. For those in tropical climates this task is ongoing. In the more extreme climates leaving spent foliage and keeping a light layer of autumn leaves, pea straw, oat husks or mulch does much to protect the plants over winter.
Winter is a great time to think about plans for the spring. Flower shows, garden tours and open gardens are great places to get inspiration and ideas for your plot. If you can't make Ellerslie, Chelsea or Melbourne flower shows then see our pages! You can even take a virtual tour of Chelsea www.bbc.co.uk/chelsea.
Take advantage of your local gardens for ideas that suit your climate.
Spring bulbs will be planted spring bulbs however you may find some bargins at the end of the autumn an its often not too late to plant.
Winter can bring strong windy conditions winds. Tying in and staking help immeasurably to limit damage in windy conditions and, while it is best to train plants as they grow, you can reduce wind damage now.
Summer bulbs are a wonderful boost to the mid- to late summer garden, giving your garden a lift when it may be starting to ‘sag’ little. For some fantastic late-summer bulbs and perennials see our plant Features for inspiration, planting ideas as well has key cultural information.
Visiting garden shows on line and reading garden magazines over the winter is an opportunity to keep up with current trends. Take time to identify the key aspects of the design, the focal points, key materials and colour to help identify what is capturing your attention.
The plants in the design are also important. Visiting you local garden centre helps identify "whats in". I am enamoured by rudbeckias now on the market. The RHS Chelsea Flower Show Plant for the Year is Streptocarpus Harlequin Blue and you can see the top ten plants on the website. Get inspiration from design gardens. You can often replace expensive materials with cheaper alternatives.
We have recently built a brick wall at the base of a sharply sloping bank using recyled bricks left by the previous owner. If you attempt this on your own make sure you take some expert advice to ensure it is safe and will stand up. The wall has created a wonderful 1.5 x 10m garden be for flowers and vegetables.
Don't forget the vegetable garden over winter. There is always something to be done. Dig the winter vegetables, sow a green crop, spread compost and get ready for the spring.
The birds are flocking to our garden – we make a fantastic nest site with lots of trees and natives in the garden, and it means I never spray for aphid as the waxeyes (silvereyes in the north) and finches get them for me. Don’t forget that water is important for thirsty bids and ensure you have water available in a cat-safe position.
And on the odd rainy or really cold days do walk through our pages for inspiration.
As always, there is a lot to think about, so much to do and so much fun to be had.
Happy gardening
Practical Gardening
Composting Get your compost into order. There are many options for compost making from 4 stakes with netting to a black plastic bag full of autumn leaves.
You can assist the composting process by adding in some animal manure or purchasing some worms from your local plant centre!
Plants for Gardens Recently we had the opportunity to hear Dan Hinkley, "celebrated horticulturalist and one of the great plant hunters of this age". Dan's lecture focused on three main design points - punctuation, exclamation accentuation.
Punctuation is the use of height, repetition or texture to interrupt the border. Exclamation was defined as garden impact. Accentuation, Dan Hinkley described as "cohesion by repetition".
Get your compost into order. There are many options for compost making from 4 stakes with netting to a black plastic bag full of autumn leaves.
