Jobs for December and January

In the greenhouse:

• Reduce watering and inspect house and plants in the greenhouse on a regular basis through the winter and remove any fallen and rotting leaves. On any warm days open the greenhouse door to help with ventilation.

• If you are using bottled gas/paraffin heaters in the greenhouse, ensure there is some ventilation.

In the garden:

• Although it’s Christmas tree time you should still be able to buy suitable winter bedding – e.g. Winter Pansies/ Violas. Use multi-purpose and John Innes compost (2 to 1 ratio) mixed with a slow-release fertiliser when potting them up.

• If you haven’t already .. cut Buddleja and Hybrid & Floribunda Rose stems to half their height to prevent the wind from rocking them in the ground at their base and then allowing frost to get to the roots,

• Other than raking off leaves, you should leave the lawn alone – walking on it when it’s wet will do more harm than good.

• Look out for bare rooted plants – available from local nurseries or online; they are generally cheaper than pot grown ones. After they’ve arrived soak them in water for several hours and ensure they are then planted in spare ground in the garden otherwise the roots may dry out completely and the plant die!

• While it’s quiet why not clean your tools and tidy your sheds!

• Look on the internet and order some seed catalogues to start planning what you are going to grow next year.