Wellie’s gardening tips are written a month in advance and the weather outside at the moment is extremely wet and windy, but also very mild. It will be interesting to see which plants, especially the more temperate plants that will survive after the minus temperatures we had in December. In the 20 odd years that I have been working as a gardener, 2022 was the first year that the leaves (especially some of the oaks) had not all fallen by Christmas. The suggestions below are just that – suggestions, and are all dependent on the weather.
Cut back ornamental grasses and other perennials left for winter interest. Prune back shrubs such as Cornus and Salix grown for winter coloured stems. Winter flowering jasmine can be pruned after it has finished flowering. Take out any dead or damaged wood, then tie in any stems needed to extend the framework, then shorten side shoots to 5cm from main framework. This is a good time of year to apply slow release fertilisers such as fish blood and bone or pelleted chicken manure to your beds and borders. Once winter flowering heathers have finished flowering, trim back with shears to the base of the flower stalks, thus encouraging side shoots to grow.
Cut back late flowering (group 3) Clematis such as Clematis viticella, C. orientalis and C. “jackmanii” to a low pair of strong buds, 23-45cm from the ground. Prune late summer flowering shrubs such as Buddleia, Lavatera and Fuschia hard. Try and finish pruning apple and pear trees by the end of the month.
Cut autumn raspberry canes to ground level and prune out a quarter of blackcurrant older growth at ground level.
The garden is very fragrant just now with the sarcococca, hamamelis and daphne, not to mention the mahonia which is in fragrant flower.
For years, I have nurtured a Dicksonia Antarctica, a New Zealand tree fern. They are hardy down to -4 C. I wrapped it up in fleece and will keep it wrapped for next week. I wonder whether it has survived.