Winter is setting in. The coalbunker is full and the mower is parked up for a while as the grass is now too wet to cut. If you are storing your mower in the shed it is a good idea to smear moving parts in grease and get the WD40 out for a spray over everything else. All to often people go back to their tools in spring to find them seized up. Fill a bucket with sand and put in some old oil. This can be used to dip your manual tools into before storage. Let us have a look at what else we can be getting on with to keep warm outside.
JOBS TO DO THIS WEEK
BRASSICAS
Check your brassicas for pests. Just because it is cold doesn’t mean that greenfly are not active. Our broccoli is still disappearing fast, as they munch away. Put a net over them if pigeons are around too.
ROSES
Roses will need a prune now to prevent wind rock. Just reduce the bushes to half their size and leave like that until early spring, and then you can cut them back harder.
FALLEN LEAVES
Fallen leaves can mean food for earthworms and make brilliant mulch around shrubs and trees. Of course they can also be a real irritation when they cover paths, ponds, lawns and drainpipes. Collect what you can and put them into the compost bin. If you don’t have a compost bin, put them into a dustbin liner bag with a pint or two of water and leave until summer. You will have then have a great bulking agent for your flowerpots.
FEED THE BIRDS
Birds that stay with us for the winter will benefit by having their feeders topped up.
WINTER BEDDING
It’s not too late to plant out the winter bedding. Try wallflowers, and forget- me- nots, primulas, violas, daisies and anything else that is looking good in the garden centres.
HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS
When you are in the garden centre have a look for good herbaceous perennials. Now is a good time to add these to the garden, as the soil is still warm(ish) but moister then it was in summer.
JOBS TO DO THIS WEEK
BRASSICAS
Check your brassicas for pests. Just because it is cold doesn’t mean that greenfly are not active. Our broccoli is still disappearing fast, as they munch away. Put a net over them if pigeons are around too.
ROSES
Roses will need a prune now to prevent wind rock. Just reduce the bushes to half their size and leave like that until early spring, and then you can cut them back harder.
FALLEN LEAVES
Fallen leaves can mean food for earthworms and make brilliant mulch around shrubs and trees. Of course they can also be a real irritation when they cover paths, ponds, lawns and drainpipes. Collect what you can and put them into the compost bin. If you don’t have a compost bin, put them into a dustbin liner bag with a pint or two of water and leave until summer. You will have then have a great bulking agent for your flowerpots.
FEED THE BIRDS
Birds that stay with us for the winter will benefit by having their feeders topped up.
WINTER BEDDING
It’s not too late to plant out the winter bedding. Try wallflowers, and forget- me- nots, primulas, violas, daisies and anything else that is looking good in the garden centres.
HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS
When you are in the garden centre have a look for good herbaceous perennials. Now is a good time to add these to the garden, as the soil is still warm(ish) but moister then it was in summer.
Horticultural.
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