Garden your way to wellbeing regardless of the time of year. From giving birds a helping hand to planting something special, Kirsty McLean has the answer
We all need a little inspiration in the garden at this time of year – AND something to look forward to. Whilst the dark nights are still with us and temperatures down, there are some uplifting things we can do now that brings enjoyment through the last months of winter where we see the benefits in spring, summer and autumn.
The first is about thinking of others – a little kindness goes a long way to helping wildlife get through the winter and makes us feel good as a result.
Create a Wildlife Haven: Keep bird feeders topped up with fat balls and seeds, and ensure birdbaths are clear of ice (or have fresh water) and are kept clean. Encouraging and keeping your garden’s birdlife and wildlife healthy helps to provide a balanced ecosystem. Birds are natural slug and snail controllers, they disperse seeds, pollinate plants, cycle nutrients in your soil and watching them interact and busy about your garden is just a joy to see. Create shelter in your garden such as log piles or leaf piles at the back of the border for hedgehogs, frogs and insects too and you have positively contributed to an incredibly important, dynamic biological community.
Planting something special for the New Year ahead
This is the perfect way to induce happiness. Bare rooted deciduous trees of all manner can be planted between end of November to end of March and if we get some mild weather and the ground isn’t frozen/still has some warmth in it, you can plant bare rooted hedging and shrubs too. Why not celebrate this new year with a new tree and have the enjoyment and excitement of watching it flourish as the months and seasons go by, or gift one to a friend or family. Marking occasions by planting a tree is a wonderful way of making memories.
Prune Roses and Fruit Bushes
January and February are the ideal time to prune dormant deciduous trees, shrubs, roses, apple/pear trees, gooseberries, and currant bushes. If you focus on the structure of the plants before new leaves emerge this encourages healthy new growth and a better harvest in the coming seasons….and makes you feel good! Interestingly, Wisteria (climbing plant) requires two prunings within the gardening year, once in July/August and the other Jan/February when shoots and branches should be pruned to inhibit lateral growth and encourage flowering.
And last – Tool TLC & Garden Tidy-Up: Clean, sharpen, and oil your pruning tools. This makes future gardening jobs so much easier. Sharp cutting tools makes for cleaner wounds and therefore reduces disease, as does making sure old soil is removed to prevent plant pathogens from infecting next seasons plants.
There is something hugely satisfying about making your garden look good and preparing for the next growing season – Spring and it’s just around the corner!
