Coming up to Christmas I am so excited as I pot up plants and make wreaths as presents for friends – as there is less to do in the garden at this time of year it’s great to have a little rummage in the garden and get inspired for Christmas. I love to decorate the house with strings of ivy and garlands of evergreen leaves to line the banister.

It was lovely to see the Christmas lights switch-on in Holt this year and hear the carols again and now that the leaves are turning and the first frosts are glittering the windows and gardens, it does truly feel like winter has arrived.

When the weather has been wet and rainy I have been curled up inside reading up on my horticultural notes and leafing through old gardening magazines – I am forcing a hyacinth this year (indoors) and it’s fantastic to watch its progress as it shoots up. It may seem that everything is dying back this time of year but if you look closely you’ll see the bright red berries on the hollies and tiny tips of bulbs emerging already.

I have just finished digging my new flowerbeds and am hoping to leave the frost to do the rest of the work breaking up the clumpy soil and now have planted the last of my tulips and can’t wait to see them flowering away in the spring.

There is so much to look forward to at this time of year! I can’t wait for the High Kelling carol service in the snug little church, and Christmas will soon be here and soon we will have the shortest day of the year and then we can appreciate the drawing out of the evenings again.

It’s a nice slow time of year for most weeds and it feels like an easy task to keep on top of weeding now, which means more time to enjoy the garden and all the hard work you’ve put into it over the last year.

Need some help thinking up ideas of how to develop your garden next year?  Why not get in touch and see what I can do for you?

Merry Christmas!

Happy Gardening!

 

Jobs for December:

• Cut back brown, dying foliage.
• Rake leaves off of flowerbeds.
• Check tree stakes and frost protection (e.g. Horticultural fleece) is still in place.
• Watch out for slugs and snails and remove.
• Enjoy the garden!