Philippa’s Newsletter – December 2020

December/January in our Gardens by Philippa Thomas.

Day by day, Christmas is getting closer, we’ll soon be approaching the depths of winter and Christmas is a turning point. We all know, living with this virus, we are ‘see-sawing’ and the well documented benefits of gardening to our mental health and physical wellbeing are more important now than ever. Having a space outside, no matter how small is amazing during this period of lockdown. This past summer saw a boom in grass seed sales partly due to more people spending time in their gardens. Our present days can be illuminated with that cold special light that only winter sun can give and then, ‘the rain from last night made everything grow with a slippery ice’. Sometimes, there is nothing more enjoyable than spending time outside on a crisp winter’s day. Take time to enjoy the winter scents in your garden. Likewise, is there not anything more lovely than a walk when the snow is falling, falling snow creates a silence and a stillness. As we enter our new year, we are reminded of new beginnings and opportunities. Nowhere is this more relevant than in our very own space, our gardens. In January, snowdrops, crocus, daffodils, narcissi, aconites, scillas, chionodoxa, muscari, (blue grape family,) are all signals of our new year and the start of an exciting gardening season, ahead.

**‘For a garden begins in January with a dream’, Josephine Nuese**

Winter doesn’t mean our terrace or balcony must remain void of life. Actually, some perennials are just waiting for this season to burst into bloom. You can plant these beautiful winter wonders and savour their blooming until our weather much later on, again turns milder. Berries are the jewels of our December gardens and then of course, offering a festive treat for our birds. Good winter flowering shrubs include mahonias which have divine clusters of scented yellow flowers, winter honeysuckle and its heavenly scented cream flowers and then, Christmas box, Sarcococca Confusa, think my very favourite plant presently, likewise holly, mistletoe, pyracantha, cotoneaster, hawthorn and right now, is such a good time to plant trees and shrubs. Your answer and my answer lies in our soil. Remember, all plants slow down in winter but evergreens never shut down completely. Deciduous trees and shrubs become completely dormant which means as long as certain rules are observed, they can be quite happily dug up and transported without any soil around their roots, so right now again, is such a good time…
There is still time to plant your tulip bulbs in December and January provided the ground isn’t frozen, finally perhaps, group your potted plants in a sheltered spot in the garden to protect them from our harshest winter weather.

Dichroa sp from Guizhou, China, (Hydrangea like,) a rare and endangered species, white flowers open to powder blue flowers in late summer, followed by blue and purple berries. Its first year here…

Our birds can be having a hard time as they are trying to fatten up for the winter. Generally, small berries are eaten by smaller birds, such as this Blackcap eating Elderberries.

CHRISTMAS TREES

Christmas Trees are usually an evergreen conifer, such as spruce, pine or fir. All three will grow in most gardens if they are bought with healthy roots and planted carefully as soon as possible. The cones of spruces hang down whereas the cones of firs stand up like candles. If you plan to have a live Christmas tree, dig the planting hole before the ground freezes, mulch and cover. The most popular trees are:

Norway Spruce, (Picea abies,) Norway Spruce is the traditional choice and holds its needles well.
The Nordmann Fir, (Abies Nordmanniana,) Nordmann has thick needles with a silvery underside.
The Colorado Spruce, (Picea pungens.)

Remember, never place your Christmas tree by a radiator as it will respond by immediately shedding its needles. Keep it as cool as possible as they are used to cold winter weather, a draughty hallway is ideal. Take your tree to the council shredder after Christmas if you are not going to plant it so that it can be recycled.

Isn’t there something so permanent about a tree and planting one feels like making your mark on the world, make sure you choose an appropriate tree. I am sure your local garden centre will be more than happy to help you.

*** For every home move where a TSB mortgage is provided, the bank will plant a tree to help offset the carbon footprint of the house move for the customer, with around 1500 trees planted every month. This pledge offers this at no extra cost to their customers.

MAGNIFICENT CHRISTMAS WREATHS TO DECORATE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE YOUR HOME

Bring your outside to your special Hall Door.
These are rose hips sprayed with yacht varnish, interwoven on Silver Birch twigs.

Seed heads, berries, hips, acorns, cinnamon sticks all work well , really you can make a wreath using anything you can forage from your garden, rose hips, spindles, Chinese lanterns, agapanthus, hydrangeas, rosemary, snowberry, eucalyptus, dried oranges, dried apple slices, pines are all so festive. Then, some ivies especially when their leaves are all the one colour, they seem like delicately christened works of art due to the finesse of their shapes. Only female holly berry trees bear colourful berries. There must be a male tree growing nearby for pollination.
A total winner for me in a large garden pot for Christmas and our New year is Sarcococca, (Christmas box,) as previously mentioned, with its amazing fragrance, a total winner…

Sarcocca Confusa, Christmas Box, Heavenly scented and will grow well in a large container.

What, if with a few tweaks to your home, your activities and your outlook for 2021, could begin to embrace, renew your life in winter and possibly, even help you to learn to love it. The Danes, they say consistently, rank at the top of the happiness scale. They use a word hygge which implies a warm comfy throw. They celebrate winter and make it a lovely time of warmth, fellowship, comfort and enjoyment. The idea of embracing winter has to start with allowing winter to embrace us. So our bare trees and shrubs are doing what we should all do. They are shifting their focus from their outer being to their inner being. All of their energy is going into the dark warmth of the deep soil where their roots can rejuvenate, renewing themselves for another season of productivity, rest, renewal and revitalisation. …So, maybe pull out those throws and blankets and put them where you can easily reach for them. A stack of blankets in a basket exudes warmth in your house, your home.

Thrilled to welcome this miniature rust Chrysanthemum…
Spotted it at our guest speakers plant table last year, unfortunately have mislaid its name…
Divided it during the Summer and got 6 young plants, adore its shading.

Nicotiana Alata, Lime Green,took this photo this a.m., December 1^st. Thank you Jennifer, one of our club members, for seedling…

SOME IDEAS FOR CHILDREN

Collect leaves and flowers to press and put in an album.
Children can make rubbings of tree trunks, bark, logs or even stone walls with a crayon and piece of paper. They can use different coloured paper and crayons to create beautiful patterns.
Children can see how many different leaves they can find and see if they can identify which tree they are from.
Why not help children make a fresh floral bracelet or a cool green leaved one…
Maybe, try using a long blade of grass to make a honking noise!

MIGHT DO, MAYBE DECEMBER/JANUARY GARDEN JOBS

Maybe, give your garden A Lily Bit Of Love….! Some are real showstoppers in large patio pots or summer borders, some are dramatic, elegant, fragrant, reliable and sure to impress. Lilies flower in almost every colour of the rainbow. Oriental and trumpet lilies, Tiger lilies and the rosette type are pollen free.
Gather a wheelbarrow of leaves and tip it out against a fence or into a quiet corner. This will make the perfect home for a hedgehog, toads, a few frogs and innumerable insects. Animals are most urgently needing, at this time of year.
On cold nights, move plants back from icy windows to prevent chilling injury.
You could hang bird feeders near roses to attract hungry birds that will also pick off any overwintering pests….
Are you struggling and short of pots? Why not recycle old toilet rolls and milk cartons to start your seedlings.
Seed swap or cutting exchanges. ….You could leave some seeds at your neighbours’ doorstep, as a gift…
Maybe, try some grow lights. This accelerates your indoor growth and keeps plants happy. They’ll almost believe they’re in the wild!
Hair spray works well to keep seed heads and dried flowers intact on wreaths and arrangements.