www.MyLittleGreenSpace.co.uk

DECEMBER

Even though December can be very cold and frosty – even with sleet and snow showers – there’s nothing better than banishing the winter blues by getting out into the garden. You might not think there’s much you can do, but anything done now will help to make that spring mad rush more manageable.

​

• Plant hardy trees, shrubs, roses, climbers and perennials, providing the soil isn’t frozen solid or waterlogged.

• Keep off heavy clay soils when they’re wet or frozen as you can damage the soil structure.

• Deadhead winter-flowering pansies to keep them flowering during mild weather.

• Propagate Acanthus, Anemone hybrida, Eryngium, Oriental poppies and Verbascum from root cuttings.

• Continue to tidy up beds and borders, clearing away dead and dying leaves and faded flower stems.

• It’s not too late to take hardwood cuttings of various deciduous shrubs and soft fruit.

• Check that compost in containers doesn’t dry out and water if necessary.

• Move deciduous small trees, shrubs and climbers that are growing in the wrong place.

• Brush snow off the branches of conifers and other evergreens. Heavy snowfall can damage the branches.

• Apply a thick mulch to protect the roots of borderline hardy plants.

• Tie wall shrubs and climbers onto their supports to protect them from wind damage.
   

Vegetable Garden:

• Dig over the soil in the vegetable patch if you garden on heavy clay soil and didn’t do it last month.

• Prune established, free-standing apple and pear trees IF they need it.

• Prune red, white and blackcurrants, gooseberries and grape vines.

• Stake Brussels sprout plants that are vulnerable to wind rock.
   

Lawn care:

• Keep off the lawn when it’s frozen, as you can damage the grass and leave brown footprint marks.

• Mow the lawn if the grass is growing and it’s dry.

​