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Taking Care of Gardens in Winter

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Taking care of gardens in winter by Sue Sargeant

If a low maintenance approach is not for you, not even with a small area such as a gravel garden, there’s still work to be done. Sue Sargeant, our gardening contributor, offers her top tips for gardeners in January and February.

Sue Sargeant talks about taking care of gardens in winter

Lawns: keep grass areas free of leaves.
Compost heaps: keep warm and limber up on a cold, wintry morning by turning the heap.
Greenhouse: clean and prepare for spring sowing.
Seeds: order seeds and plug plants, online is often cheaper.
Vegetable plot: clear and weed, top dress with fertilizer.
Pruning: winter pruning stimulates growth but leave Plums, Apricots, Peaches and Cherries until late spring.

Time to clean and disinfect the greenhouse, ready for spring sowing

Bulbs: Tulips can be planted in January, keep an eye out for promotions in garden centres.
Bare rooted plants: check the ground around end January to mid-February and, if it is not frozen, plant bare rooted plants (bare rooted roses and shrubs are cheaper to buy, especially online).
Vegetables: buy seed potatoes and onion sets.
Ornamental grasses: cut back mid-February.

You can see more of Sue’s tips on gardening throughout the year on our website

Bare rooted plants can be planted now

First published in the Jan/Feb 2020 issue of The Local Buzz

Images: Shutterstock