The winter months are the best time to plant any trees and hedging or other bare-rooted shrubs. They should be planted as soon as you can so they spend the minimum time out of the ground. Planting now means that they get off to the best possible start in the spring. When planting, try to use native trees as this will support a huge number of insects that, in turn, will provide food for larger animals and birds. A mix of elder, dog rose, blackthorn, hawthorn and hazel for hedging, would be a wild bird’s paradise.
This is a good time to move shrubs that are growing in the wrong place or those that have outgrown their position. Aim to lift established plants with as large a root ball as possible. It may be necessary to prune out a few shoots from large transplanted shrubs, as the damaged root system may not be able to support them.

January is a very good time to apply manure to you garden soil, for the coming year's growing season.

Go on a weed hunt, as any weeds dealt with now will be less invasive come Spring and despite the weather you will find plenty about.

If you are lucky enough to have some rhubarb in your garden, you can place a bucket over dormant clumps to encourage stems to form for a delicious early harvest for that rhubarb crumble or rhubarb and custard.

The very best sweet peas come from those sown in early autumn but so often this is forgotten at that time of year. The second best time to sow sweet peas is now in early January and you’ll have pretty scented flowers for picking later in the year.

You will soon see Snowdrops popping up from under trees. The early Snowdrops can be lifted then divided while they are in leaf and you could give some to a friend who has always wanted some in their garden.

Winter prune Wisteria to create a good framework, shorten side shoots back to the second or third bud, this will keep the shrub confined and encourage flowering. It will be necessary to prune Wisteria again in August.

Plants that would look good in your garden through January are some varieties of Helleborus, Rhododendron, Viburnum, Erica (Heather), Hamamelis mollis (Witch Hazel) or Skimmia japonica.

Enjoy sitting in the warm drinking a cup of tea, planning the year ahead for your garden.

By Trudy Rance, Wood Image, 01442 872762

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Other plants that look bright and cheerful in your garden in April are Viburnums, Prunus (cherries), Pulsatilla Vulgaris, Choisya Ternate Mexican Orange Blossom, Clematis Armandii, Euphorbia Polychrome, Trollis Europaeus, Doronicums, Rhododendrons and Azaleas.

Prune shrubs, such as Buddleja, that produce their best show on vigorous new wood.

Now is a good time to shape your Box hedging and if you water the plant first, it will prevent sap sticking to your shears.
You can now begin to mow your lawn regularly. The more frequently you mow the lawn, the thicker it will grow.

If you are lucky enough to have a magnolia in your garden, or looking to buy one, and would like it to produce an outstanding show of flowers, spread some garden peat around the base of your plant to maintain an acid environment, which magnolias require. Also magnolias tend to suffer from magnesium deficiency; a yearly application of Epsom salts will help to prevent this.

Now is the time to divide Primroses after they have flowered. This is also a good time to divide summer flowering perennials such as Daylilies, Phlox & Hosta.

With spring flowering bulbs that have finished flowering, like Daffodils and Hyacinths, cut the flower stalks back to the ground. Do not cut the foliage until it dies naturally, as the leaves are necessary to produce strong bulbs capable of flowering next year.

Weeds are a real nuisance, they help to starve your plants from water, nutrients and light, and if not kept under control and eradicated, can soon take over a neglected garden. There are many methods in fighting off weeds in your garden, but try not to use weedkillers and other strong chemicals, as they cause great damage to the ecosystem of other plant life and wildlife and to the environment overall. The best and safest organic method to fight weeds is the good old fashioned hoeing and mulching. Weeds are usually tougher than the wide variety of plants we plant in our garden and more resistant to chemicals. Fortunately weeds are not too sturdy when they very first start to grow and anything that loosens their grip with the soil will kill them, like pushing a hoe around the garden. Mulches are very effective in keeping weeds down by denying weed seeds light, which prevents them from growing properly. Mulch is also very good for your garden as it helps to keep moisture in the soil.

Enjoy your garden this April, and hopefully there will be more sunshine than showers.

By Trudy Rance, Wood Image, 01442 872762

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Bamboo branches that have suffered frost damage can be cut back to the ground and this will stimulate new shoots. Ensure after pruning the bamboo, you give it a good feed and water.

Summer-flowering bulbs and tubers can now be planted out, these include Dahlias, Begonias, Cannas and Gladioli, you can also try some more unusual types like Freesias, Harlequin flowers, Arum lilies and Ranunculi.

You can buy a variety of poppy seeds in packets, which you just sprinkle over the soil, then later in the year they will show colour in the empty spaces in your garden, and there was no hard work involved.
May is the month you can hang out your hanging baskets and plant up pots with a variety of Fuchsias, Geraniums, Busy lizzies, Petunias, Lobelia and more. Apply a slow- release fertiliser to their compost, which should last the whole growing season for the plants. Remember to keep them well watered, and they will put on a lovely show from now and through the summer. Keep an eye on the weather forecast for the odd frosty night, and cover them.

May is a good time to experiment and create your own small herb garden. Try to make it an aesthetic feature to your garden. Your Herb patch or planter should be able to get five hours of sunshine a day and have well drained soil. You can grow Basil, Garlic and Parsley and many more. Most herbs will have good continued growth after harvesting some of their leaves, yet some herbs such as Dill and Coriander are not so good at recovering and so may need discarding after a while with a new plant taking its place. Mint should be kept in a separate pot, as it can take over the whole herb patch in time. There still may be an odd night frost in May, so the delicate herbs will need protection through those chilly nights.

Your lawn will need regular mowing. Scarifying will remove thatch from your lawn, but never scarify a wet lawn, as this will cause more damage than good. If there is moss within your lawn, it will need aerating and you can then sprinkle some shade-loving lawn seed. With large moss-infested areas you can treat it with iron sulphate. If there are waterlogged patches in your lawn, improve the drainage by pushing a garden fork into the soil and angle it back and forth. Try to feed your grass every month and you should see a real improvement.

Insect Pests are going to start to be a big problem this month, so keep an eye out and treat accordingly, preferably using organic pest control which is better for the other wildlife and plant life in your garden.

Plants that will flower in your garden in May are Lilac, Iris, Wisteria, London pride and Corydalis flexuosa (China blue).

Enjoy your garden this May, the time spent working in the garden should soon start paying off, and the colourful show will begin.

By Trudy Rance, Wood Image, 01442 872762

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Remove the fading flowers from Lupins and Delphiniums to encourage a second flush of flowers in July or August. Other plants are also encouraged to bloom more by regular dead heading.

Regularly feed your baskets and containers and other plants in your garden to help them put on a real show.

Your plants in the garden should be flourishing this month, which will also mean that the weeds will be trying to flourish too, so try to pull them up or hoe them as they appear, so not letting them get a foot hold.

Watch out for any signs of pests like aphids and diseases like blackspot on your plants, and treat accordingly.
When bearded irises have finished flowering you can divide them and let them grow in other areas of your garden, as these irises do look spectacular when in flower.

When spring bulbs have finished flowering in your garden, remove any faded flowers and yellow leaves and feed them with a bulb fertilizer or bone meal. Dig up any finished spring flowering bulbs that like dry conditions and store them in a cool, dark and dry place.

Place support canes for plants like Delphiniums, Lupins, Poppies and other tall plants, to prevent them flopping over due to their heavy flowers on their slender stems or being damaged by the wind.

If you have young children or grandchildren you could in early June perhaps interest them in growing a tall sunflower and watch it grow from seed to a tall giant. For tall sunflowers you could perhaps try Helianthus Russian Giant which grows up to an amazing 10ft tall.

If you haven’t already installed a waterbutt in your garden, now would be a good time before they threaten us with a summer hose pipe ban. Waterbutts help the environment and can save you money. By collecting and saving rainwater from the roof of your house, shed or garage, you can prevent using drinking water to water your garden and running up a large bill if you are on a water meter. Rainwater is better for the plants rather than the tap water as it contains some natural nutrients they need. Waterbutts are not hard to install, and if you do not want a green or black one, there are many new designs to choose from, like oak barrels, butts resembling large terracotta pots, and even some disguised as large rocks.

A few of the very many plants that put on a show of flowers in June are Foxgloves, Astilbes, Buddleja Globosa, Valerian and Roses.

Hope your garden is a true tranquil retreat for you this month, to sit in and enjoy.

By Trudy Rance, Wood Image, 01442 872762

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This month you can lift and divide Hellebores, replant them in a semi-shaded position in moisture retentive soil. These are great plants as they don’t mind shade and there is a wide variety to choose from.

If you have sweet peas which you planted earlier this year, pick them regularly to keep them flowering.

Some plants can be enhanced with pruning at this time of year. One of these is Wisteria, prune its long wispy stems, cutting them back leaving five or six buds from the main branches, this will encourage flowering spurs. Remove suckers from Roses, Prunus and Sorbus. Trim back Clematis montanas, as they are fast growing and can become leggy and smother other plants. Prune early flowering shrubs if they have finished flowering, such as Weigela, Philadelphus, Cytisus, Choisya and Syringa. Hedge cutting time for hedges like Beech and Escallonia. Bay bushes and topiaries can be trimmed and sculpted now.
Keep regularly watering and dead heading and feeding your plants, to keep them looking their best through the summer and to encourage a good show of flowers. Pulling up weeds before they have a chance to flower and go to seed, will hopefully reduce the number of new weeds sprouting.

A light surface watering actually wastes water, because the water never actually reaches the root area of the plant, and the moisture rapidly evaporates from the top inch of soil. The soil should be moist at least 3 or 4 inches deep so reaching the plant roots.

Help keep the moisture in the soil by mulching. This will not only look attractive setting off the surrounding plants, but will reduce annual weed growth. Always mulch over moist ground, never over dry soil.

Continue to watch for insect or disease damage throughout the garden, and take the necessary steps to control the problem. You can spray infestations of aphids with soft soap solution every third day until all signs of the pest have gone.

Contrary to popular belief, a brown lawn isn't necessarily a dead lawn. Grasses go dormant in times of drought, but will quickly return to life when it rains. To keep a green healthy lawn, mow it at least once a week if not twice and water it well. If there is a water shortage, or you hate tending to grass, you may choose to just let your lawn go dormant, and water it as little as once a month.

If you were busy in your greenhouse earlier this year, it could now be abundant with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, chilli peppers and melons. Remember to keep them well fed with a high potash liquid feed. As the heat of Summer arrives regularly water and ventilate your greenhouse. Damp down the floors in your greenhouse to help keep the atmosphere moist on hot days, try to do this in the mornings.

If you have a compost pile or bin in your garden now is a good time to “turn it”.

Regularly top up your ponds and water features and remove any blanket weed.
Change the water regularly in your bird bath, as standing water will become a breeding ground for mosquito larvae.

Some plants that flower in July are Bear's Breaches (Acanthus spinosus), Kniphofia, Crocosmia, Lavatera and Hydrangea macrophylla.

All the time spent this year looking after your garden, was for it to look at its best over these next few months, so enjoy.

By Trudy Rance, Wood Image, 01442 872762

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