how-to

If the weather is cold and wet, why not sit inside with a cup of tea and a slice of Christmas cake and plan what you would like to do in the garden for the rest of the year. Look at seed catalogues for ideas of what to sow. Apple and pear trees can still be pruned now, if there is no risk of frosts, by taking out any diseased, crossing or dead branches. Aim to end up with an open tree that allows light and air into it.

Prune outdoor grapevines by mid January, rising sap ‘bleeds’ from pruning cuts later in spring. Buy and start chitting early potatoes. Chitting will help to bring on a slightly earlierand heavier crop. [Read more…] about January Gardening Tips by Wellie

Clematis pruning guide

Group 1 – Spring
No pruning needed except to control the size or shape of these clematis.
If necessary, lightly prune, back to a pair of healthy buds, immediately after flowering

Tip: Early flowering clematis can become overgrown as they age. A hard pruning can rejuvenate the plant but the next seasons flowers will be lost. In early spring, cut stems back to a pair of healthy buds several inches above the ground to encourage new growth

[Read more…] about Wellie’s Gardening Tips – December 2021

I thought this month, instead of talking about what needs doing in the garden I would talk about petrol and using it in garden machinery.

On the 1st September unleaded fuel was changed from E5 (5 % ethanol) to E10 (10% ethanol). The reason for the change is to help tackle climate change and to reduce CO2 emissions.

Sweet peas can be sown now indoors for an early flowering next year.

Prune tall shrubs that will be hard pruned in the Spring, eg Lavatera and Buddleja, by half now to reduce wind rock. Cut down herbaceous
perennials that have finished flowering and are looking untidy.

[Read more…] about Wellie’s Gardening Tips – October 2021

Make the most of the warmth in the air and soil, before the temperatures drop at the beginning of Autumn. Some Broad beans and pea varieties (such as Aquadulce Claudia and Pea ‘Douce Prvence’) can be sown now for an earlier crop next year, along with spring cabbages and spinach (which might need to be covered from frosts).

Now is the time to summer prune your wisteria, which will have put on lots of wispy tendrils. Unless they are pruned twice a year, it will grow very large and soon outgrow its allotted space. Cut the wispy growth back to five or six buds from the main stem.

Once your lavender bushes have finished flowering they can be given a good hair cut to get them back into shape. This can be done by reducing the section of green growth that exists between the wood and the bottom of the flower stem. French lavender needs to be treated slightly differently, they just need to be dead headed throughout the summer. [Read more…] about Wellie’s Gardening Tips – August 2021

Dead head plants regularly to keep them looking good and make their flower display last longer.

Don’t forget to keep watering newly planted plants, because until they have established a good root system their roots will be shallow rooted and small.

[Read more…] about Wellie’s Gardening Tips – July 2021

Cut lawns once a week, apply a lawn weed, feed and moss killer if not applied last month. Check that herbaceous perennials that need staking have some support otherwise they can flop over and the stems can then be damaged trying to bring them upright again.

[Read more…] about Wellie’s Gardening Tips – June 2021

When I wrote this column last year I talked about how we were all at home, keeping social distances and struggling to get any seeds to sow, compost or plants for our gardens. A year on, we have a little more freedom, and garden centres have been open, but even they are struggling to source stock due to covid and Brexit.

Lawns – now is the time to start looking after your lawn.

Every gardener knows, trimmed edges can make all the difference! Apply a spring lawn feed now. Any bumps and hollows on lawns can be repaired by peeling back the turf and either adding or removing soil. Sowing new lawns, or reseeding patches, can be started this month, depending on the weather.

[Read more…] about Wellie’s Gardening Tips – April 2021

It is time to get busy preparing seed beds, sowing seeds, cutting back winter shrubs and generally tidying up around the garden. Hoe and mulch weeds to keep them under control. Pruning of wisterias will need to be completed this month.

Summer flowering clematis, late flowering shrubs (eg Buddleia and Perovskia) and winter flowering shrubs can be pruned now. Apply a general purpose fertiliser and mulch to beds and borders. [Read more…] about Wellie’s Gardening Tips – March 2021

Complete pruning of climbing and bush roses before new growth becomes too strong. Once winter flowering heathers have finished, trim them back with shears to the base of flower stalks. Cut back ornamental grasses and other perennials left for winter interest. Prune shrubs hard 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. Topdress beds and borders with a balanced fertiliser. [Read more…] about Wellie’s Gardening Tips – February 2021

This is a great time to plan what you would like to do in the garden for the rest of the year. Take a note book and walk around the garden. Look at seed catalogues for ideas of what to sow.

[Read more…] about Wellie’s Gardening Tips – January 2021

Clear paths of moss and lichen so that they are not a slip hazard (elf ‘n’ safety!) Check that there isn’t any fuel left in your garden machinery before storing over winter, as stale fuel is often the reason why a mower will not start at the beginning of the following season.

Keep raking up those leaves from the lawn and borders.

From now until the end of March is the time to plant any bare rooted trees, shrubs and roses. Check stored fruit, throw out any that are rotten. Reduce watering on houseplants.

To keep your indoor hyacinths blooming longer, make sure they are kept in a cool, bright place. If they are kept too warm the leaves will elongate and the flowers will fade quickly.

Put bark chips around your hellebores to protect emerging blooms from rain splashes. Cut off any leaves with black spots on them to try and prevent the fungal disease spreading. [Read more…] about Wellie’s Gardening Tips for December 2020 + Vegetable Sowing Chart for the Year

Keep raking up leaves from lawns and paths, and off the beds if they are laying thickly, if not they can be left for the worms to break them up and incorporate them into the soil.

Tie-in long whippy shoots of climbers and wall shrubs. Prune roses to prevent wind-rock and this is also the time to prune most deciduous trees, but a lot of deciduous ornamental grasses can be left until the spring. [Read more…] about Wellie’s Gardening Tips for November 2020

Bulbs glorious bulbs. Now is the time to buy and plant bulbs for spring displays. Life might not be back to normal but at least we can add some colour and enjoyment to our gardens. Why not think about adding some pots of winter colour, such as heathers, pansies, violas and cyclamen.

[Read more…] about Wellie’s Gardening Tips for October 2020

Overgrown clumps of herbaceous perennials can be divided now. This will invigorate them and improve flowering and overall shape. Lift the clump and split the outer area of the clump, discarding the centre which will be the oldest part of the clump.

Don’t worry if you are not able to do this now, some can wait until next Spring, just make a note of which ones need attention.

Continue to deadhead plants to prolong the display. Why not treat yourself to some Spring bulbs that you can scatter around the garden or put into pots to give some brightness at the beginning of next year.

[Read more…] about Wellie’s Gardening Tips for September 2020

This is a perfect time to be thinking about taking cuttings of some short lived or tender plants that might not over-winter such as some penstemons and salvias.

Select a vigorous shoot, preferably a shoot that hasn’t flowered, otherwise make sure all buds have been taken off, cut a 5cm length as near to a leaf joint as possible, strip off the lowest leaves and insert into compost. Keep in a cool, moist environment out of full sunlight. [Read more…] about Wellie’s Gardening Tips for August 2020

Divide congested clumps of bearded iris after flowering. Dead head bedding plants, roses and herbaceous plants to encourage more flowers.

Trim evergreen hedges, including conifers. Feed dahlias and cannas every two weeks with a high potassium fertilizer, such as tomato feed. Prune early-summer flowering shrubs, such as Philadelphus, once they have finished flowering. [Read more…] about Wellie’s Gardening Tips for July 2020

So, after all those weeks that we have had in lock down, and the sunshine and showers our gardens have received we should all be starting to notice a difference when we look outside.

Hopefully, as businesses start to reopen, garden centres will as well, and any gaps in the garden can then be instantly filled, adding more colour to the garden.

[Read more…] about Wellie’s Gardening Tips for June 2020