Everything you need to do in the garden this month
Gardening in December: With the arrival of cold winter weather and Christmas on the horizon, it's a quiet month in the garden, but there are still jobs to do, so it's worth getting out to repair and clear for a healthy, well-maintained outdoor space.
Plants
Winter planting is a joy, say the experts at British Garden Centres, who suggest planting dormant hedges (beech, hornbeam, quickthorn) and bare root roses into the ground.
For vibrancy and visual interest, consider adding winter bedding (even as a window box or hanging basket), evergreen shrubs, conifers, and Cornus stems –it'll be a beautiful sight to behold, even as it gets dark in the evenings.
December is also a great time to sow winter vegetables (think of all that fresh, healthy produce) including broad beans, onions, garlic and winter greens.
A few things to remember:
Move potted plants into sheltered areas and use horticultural fleece for added frost protection. Containers that stay outdoors all winter need to be raised up with pot feet so they don't get waterlogged.
Cut back ornamental grasses and bamboos if needed.
Order your seed catalogues; these are all available online, but it can be more fun to pore over a paper version.
Prune climbing roses, dormant shrubs and trees.
Stay off the lawn as much as possible, as frosty or waterlogged grass is easily damaged. If you have to go across it, try laying boards down temporarily.
Fruit and vegetables
Leeks, Brussels sprouts and any Christmas potatoes should be ready to be dug up now. It's also a good time to prune apple and pear trees too. The idea is to form an open, cup shape with no crossing branches.
Tidying up
Now that a lot of the growth has died away, there's an opportunity to take a good look at the hard landscaping in the garden – the fences, paths and seats – to make sure they're all in good condition for next year. This includes treating wooden structures, such as sheds, fences, and trellis, with preservative. And remember to wash and oil garden tools to prevent rusting, plus sharpen secateurs and lawn mower blades to prepare for spring's garden season.
There's probably a lot of cleaning up to do, such as cleaning patios and paths with a pressure washer or sweeping away dead leaves. You should regularly rake fallen leaves to keep garden paths clear and prevent slips. In fact, the Royal Horticultural Society suggests raking or blowing them onto beds or collecting them to make leaf mould. 'Leaves in beds will act as mulch, and they will be used by earthworms and other animals.'
In terms of clearing out, give your garden shed a good declutter and make sure it's secure for winter.
Indoors
Create indoor displays for winter tables. Brightly coloured stems and berries look beautiful and are a great substitute for cut flowers in winter. Some of our favourite festive plants for this time of year include amaryllis, Christmas rose and cyclamen.
If you only do one thing...
...hang out a bird feeder – somewhere you can see it but that the cats can't get to. There are lots of different ways to help birds through winter but a feeder is easy and rewarding. It's also one of the simplest methods of attracting a good variety of species. You'll probably see sparrows, and maybe finches and blue tits too. The ones that come will depend on what food you put out – see labels of bird food for details.
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