| Gardening in winter can be just as enjoyable and | | | | Amongst the best - |
| exciting as gardening in any other season of the | | | | Cyclamen Hellebore (Christmas Rose) Anemone |
| year. | | | | Pansies Viloas Iris Crocus Adonis Narcissus. And |
| You just have to choose your days when you | | | | don't forget heathers. Grow heathers in groups |
| can get out there and the weather is at least dry | | | | for an eye catching winter display. Heathers when |
| and the ground isn't frozen solid. | | | | planted in groups of similar colour can be very |
| You will need to wrap up warm, thermal | | | | effective. And there's plenty of shrubs that give a |
| underwear, extra jumpers, a nice snug coat and | | | | good flower display in winter and some have |
| thick woolen socks. | | | | gorgeous looking berries that many garden birds |
| So what can you do in your garden in winter? | | | | will enjoy. |
| Surprisingly quite a lot. You can dig your vegetable | | | | Here's some shrubs you can grow for winter |
| plot, make sure you dig deep, and don't forget | | | | colour: |
| you need to add loads of well rotted compost or | | | | Cornus Chosya Eleanus Euonymus Garrya Holly |
| manure. Winter is the ideal time for adding | | | | Mahonia Photinia Pyracantha Saracococca Skimmia |
| compost to your garden soil. It will naturally break | | | | Viburnum Winter Honeysuckle Winter Jasmine |
| down and give your soil a real nice texture and | | | | So, what can you do if it is wet, freezing or |
| will be perfect for sowing your seeds in early | | | | snowing? There's still an awful lot you can do if |
| spring. | | | | the weather is against you. And what's more it |
| You can also dig your flower beds and borders | | | | can all be done from the comfort of your |
| which you have not dug over for a few seasons. | | | | favourite lounge chair and by the warmth of that |
| And don't forget to add plenty of well rotted | | | | blazing fire. You can decide what you want for |
| compost or manure to give your soil a real boost. | | | | the coming seasons and plan your garden. This is |
| Your bed and border plants will thank you for it | | | | an important part of the gardener's year. Planning |
| and grow as they have never grown before. Lush | | | | is essential for terrific looking flowering beds and |
| green foliage and amazing beautiful flowers is | | | | borders, patio tubs and pots, hanging baskets, |
| what you have to look forward to. Winter is the | | | | window boxes and troughs. And it's essential to |
| best time to mark out and dig all those new beds | | | | plan your vegetable garden. You don't have to |
| and borders or a new vegetable plot you have | | | | draw up elaborate plans though, just a sketch or |
| been promising yourself. | | | | a few notes will do, just enough to remind you to |
| The winter frosts will break your soil down to a | | | | do things as they need doing and where you |
| fine texture, ideal for growing those plants and | | | | where going to plant those new plants that have |
| vegetables. | | | | just arrived in the post. |
| This is the time of year you need to tidy up your | | | | Christmas is nearly here and will soon be gone, it |
| garden. Get rid all those annuals and biennials in | | | | will soon be just a memory, and spring is only just |
| your beds and borders that finished flowering | | | | around the corner. Spring is the time when |
| some time ago, they are just an eyesore and | | | | gardening in earnest really starts, it's the time of |
| they are an ideal place for slugs and snails to hide | | | | year to start sowing your seeds and planting out |
| through winter. So get rid of them now. Tidy up | | | | your young plants. So now you want to browse |
| around your perennial plants, all the old spent | | | | through those wonderful seed catalogues, decide |
| leaves need removing and now's the time to | | | | what seeds you want and get them ordered. |
| carefully loosen the soil surface around them. This | | | | Don't leave it much longer, you want to make |
| will help break up any compacted soil and will allow | | | | sure you get your seeds and get them in good |
| air and water to penetrate down to the roots. | | | | time. |
| While you're in amongst those perennials hoe or | | | | The earlier you can sow them the sooner you |
| pull out any weeds that my still be hanging on. Its | | | | can plant them out. It's not just flowering |
| best to dig them out if you can. Digging them out | | | | gardening plant seeds you want though, don't |
| removes the roots so they can't grow again in | | | | forget your vegetables as well, early sowings of |
| the spring.Rake up all those fallen tree leaves and | | | | vegetable seeds means earlier harvesting and a |
| compost them by putting them in a big plastic bag | | | | longer growing period. And it's not just seeds you |
| and leaving them to break down for a year. This | | | | need to order. |
| makes good wholesome compost, ideally mixed | | | | Now's the time to decide what young plants you |
| with other organic compost. | | | | want, some may be in short supply, so get your |
| You can smarten up your shrubs, bushes or | | | | orders in quick. They will be delivered to you only |
| hedges that look a bit ragged by pruning or | | | | when they are ready to plant out. Just make sure |
| trimming. Winter is a good time of year for doing | | | | all risk of night frosts has passed before you do |
| this. | | | | plant them out though. |
| Make the most of frost free days and do any | | | | You can also buy seeds and young plants online. |
| hard landscaping. Lay crazy paving, garden paths, | | | | Online is a real good way to buy your seeds and |
| build your stone or brick garden walls, lay | | | | young plants. There are many online suppliers and |
| concrete or slab bases for your new sheds or | | | | they are just as reliable as any offline supplier. |
| greenhouses. Make the most of winter and do all | | | | You can usually pick up some very good bargains |
| the jobs you can. It really is good groundwork for | | | | from online suppliers and there's no order to post, |
| your coming spring and summer gardening | | | | it's just a few clicks of your mouse and your |
| seasons. | | | | seeds and young plants will be delivered straight |
| Just make sure when you do these jobs the | | | | to your door. Many of the online stores specialise |
| ground is not too wet or frozen or covered in | | | | in hard to find seeds and young plants, so it's a |
| snow or you will damage the structure of your | | | | good source for those hard to find seeds and |
| soil as you walk on it. And don't forget you'll be | | | | plants. |
| out and amongst all your lovely winter flowering | | | | So there you are, you can make winter gardening |
| plants. There are loads of plants that will flower in | | | | just as exciting and as pleasurable as gardening in |
| winter and many will even flower through into | | | | the spring or summer. |
| spring. | | | | |