WINTER COLOUR

WINTER COLOUR

The garden is now coming out of its autumn phase

betula jaquemontii

and heading into winter as plants go dormant, autumn colour fades away as all the leaves fall off and frost and snow is not far away. However all

Cornus sibirica and Mid Winter Fire

through the winter months there is still plants looking good and some still flowering to keep us cheery. Once the real winter sets in and the snow arrives we then look forward to the first snowdrops as a hint that spring is approaching. At least that was how it used to be, but with mild winters now becoming normal my first snowdrops start to flower in December, and this year the shoots are already two inches tall. Fingers crossed that the beast from the East gives us a miss this year. I have always dedicated a small patch of garden for winter colour, but when you decide what to plant in it you find there is a massive choice of plants that have interest in winter.

Cotoneaster simonsii

Senecio greyii

The early winter is the time for berries from rowans with red, orange, pink and white berries, down to a huge range of berberis and cotoneasters with red and orange berries. A perfect choice for a north wall is the firethorn, Pyracantha with red and orange berries. This is a great plant around windows as the thorns will deter any burglar and in spring the blackbirds love its protection for building their nest in. Then the snowberry with white berries lasts well into winter, but nothing is more festive than the holly with red berries before the birds strip them off. Pernettya however lasts well into spring as the birds have to be really desperate before they have a go at them. If you want a tall shrub

Houttunia Chameleon

with grey foliage popular in maritime locations then go for the sea buckthorn, Hippophae rhamnoides with bright orange berries that are a real bonus for those that like a very healthy fruit, but ask Google how to prepare it. A better proposition for edible berries is the outdoor fuchsia Mrs Popple. This year the bush has hardly any fruit on it yet last year it was so prolific that I picked the berries and put them through the juicer for a lovely tasty drink.

My winter garden comes into focus as the birds devour the last of the berries and interest comes from shrubs and trees with coloured stems and bark. Cornus Westonbirt and Mid Winter Fire are hard to beat for intense bright red stems and grow alongside the green stemmed Kerria japonica and the orange stemmed Salix britzensis.

Jasminum nudiflorum

Next to them is a small Japanese maple tree Sango Kaku with red stems and fantastic autumn colour, as well as my white stemmed birch, Betula jacquemontia which is always a winner for a dramatic statement. This colourful winter border lasts into March, but then I have to stop the show, as they all (except the Kerria) require cutting down to ground level. New stems then grow to replace them for the following winter. They also need removing as the winter border now becomes a spring border as it has been planted with masses of

Pernettya mucronata

crocus and tulips and last month I added a batch of tall oriental lilies to flower in summer above the growing shrubs. Other parts of the garden have the pink scented Viburnum fragrans and yellow Jasminum nudiflorum; my only two reliable plants to flower in winter outdoors. Another garden area given over to winter colour is my shady border with bright foliage on the Euonymus Emerald n Gold, the silver Emerald Gaiety and the silver Senecio greyii. A good tall background plant is the golden Lonicera Baggesons Gold, a favourite for nesting birds in spring as it is so dense.

Viburnum badnantense

For ground cover the Houttunia Chameleon with red and gold markings over the leaf is very attractive though some say it can be a bit invasive if it takes a like to your garden.

Planting rhubarb

Heathers are also great for ground cover and my favourite for winter is the Calluna vulgaris Goldsworth Crimson which brightens up after a few frosts.

Wee jobs to do this week

Rhubarb has now gone dormant, so we can remove all the old

leaves and add them to the compost heap. If the rhubarb clump has been growing undisturbed for over three years it would be a good idea to lift it up and divide it. Dig over the soil adding plenty of well rotted manure or compost then replant the strongest crowns which have two or three plump buds visible, spacing about two to three feet apart.

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HOUSE PLANTS

HOUSE PLANTS

Most people were brought up in a home that always had some form of green plant. As a young child I cannot ever forget that Aspidistra that sulked in a dark corner defying all attempts to kill it. Later on in life as gardening began to take hold I learned that there were numerous house plants available and many were quite attractive, so in came a

Aglaonema

rubber tree plant, and that Aspidistra ended up on the compost heap. Then later a cheese plant (Monstera) arrived followed by a mother in laws tongue (Sansevieria) then the spider plant (Chlorophytum) and a tradescantia. However some of these came with their own set of problems. Father asked my advice on what to do, now that his rubber tree plant has reached the ceiling, and he only fed it twice a week!!! There was a massive demand for house plants in the seventies and all sorts appeared but then information on looking after them came in books and plant labels. Slowly over time fashions changed and flowering house plants are more popular though colourful and easy to grow evergreens are still in demand to add life to living rooms, and halls. Orchids are a favourite in light bathrooms where the moist

Aloe vera

atmosphere is just what they need and the Aloe vera popular on the kitchen windowsill quite handy as a medicinal use for light burns and scrapes to the cook’s hands.

The evergreens are now part of the indoor landscape finding a spot to bring life to the dull corners or as part of the furniture. The Yucca and Aglaonema both come in a range of leaf colours and just love the house atmosphere and their architectural forms are perfect to add interest around the house.

Both may be easy to look after, but in time they will grow quite big.

Poinsettia

However the keen gardener will not chuck them out if they have outgrown their place. The Yucca can be cut back to the stumps and after a few months will recover and start growing again. The tops can be used as cuttings to produce new plants to pass onto a friend. The Aglaonema can be removed from its pot and the large crowns can be split up like a herbaceous plant and the smaller sections repotted into small pots.

The flowering house plants are now mostly seasonal whereas forty years ago the pot mum (dwarf chrysanthemum) reigned supreme. We all tried to revive them after flowering to grow on for another year, but not knowing they had been artificially kept dwarf by chemicals they soon outgrew there locations. At Christmas the poinsettias are a similar plant in that they are almost as important as the Christmas tree. We get attached to them and try to keep them for another year, but without dwarfing chemicals they

Zygocactus

soon take off. In their natural environment they grow into small trees.

The other popular festive flowering house plant is the Christmas cactus. This however, is easy for the home gardener to keep for many years. After flowering we just let them go quite dry, just giving an occasional watering if they shrivel up too far, then in late spring we start to water again as they go into their growth phase, but after a couple of months we dry them off again to ripen up the shoots for flowering the next Christmas, or just ahead of the festive season. Other festive flowering plants include the dwarf Azalea, cyclamen, Amaryllis and the

Yucca

Phalaenopsis orchid. All of these can be retained for flowering another year, but you need to check out each one’s own growing requirements as they all need different conditions.

Geraniums and Impatiens grown from autumn cuttings and then put on a bit of growth can be allowed back into flowering during the dull winter months.

Careful watering is very important as some plants can dry out if not checked frequently, then after watering remove excess water. They do not like wet feet. Most plants also like light conditions but out of direct sunlight, except cactus grown on a windowsill.

Poppy ladybird

Wee jobs to do this week

Annual poppies are a great plant for summer colour and are very easy to grow. There are several types such as Californian, Opium, Iceland and Ladybird, and seed can be saved from all of these to grow again the following year. Collect seed heads once they are mature and store them in a frost free shed or garage in paper bags or open plastic containers. Check over in a couple of months and when they are dry enough open up the pods and extract the seeds.

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SOIL IMPROVEMENTS

SOIL IMPROVEMENTS

As gardeners we do our best to grow top quality plants, whether it is trees, shrubs, roses, herbaceous borders, rock gardens, a beautiful lawn, flowers,

Kyle and Scarlet double digging

fruit and vegetables. Every plant has its own requirements for cultural needs, location, shelter and soil. If you want the perfect lawn, the soil must have excellent drainage, as this benefits the growth of the fine grasses and discourages diseases and moss. The best golf courses are often found on sandy coastal links ground.

Tares green manure

Roses prefer a deep fertile clay soil and rock garden plants need well drained stony soils. Fruit and vegetables grow best on well drained fertile soil, though root crops fare best when the land was well manured for a crop the previous year, otherwise the roots will tend to split.

Allotment gardens are usually a mixture of fruit, vegetables, some flowers to brighten up the plot, a compost heap, a wee shed for tools, storage and shelter, and a greenhouse for the tomatoes, a grapevine and bringing on the young plants from seed. We all have a competitive spirit, so crop size, weight or flower power is very important if we are to keep up with other plot holders. This is where soil fertility comes in as each crop has its own needs. We resolve this issue with crop rotation and dig, manure and use green manures according to crop requirements. Some people use a three year rotation with potatoes and roots followed by brassicas and these to be followed by the heavy feeders of onions, leeks, peas,

Ryegrass green manure

beans, sweet corn, courgettes and pumpkins. Rotation is important to keep ahead of diseases, but with so many new crops to try out, a four year rotation may be a better choice. I also incorporate my strawberries into the rotation as these get dug out every three years with new runners planted on new soil. Once you get the rotation organised you will know in advance what crops will receive the most compost (the heavy feeders) those that get a lesser amount (potatoes and brassicas) and those that don’t get any (the rootcrops.) You need this information in late autumn as you start the winter digging incorporating compost as planned. Retain some compost to add to potato furrows as well as extra at planting time for courgettes and pumpkins. I plan to complete digging by Christmas though sometimes weather has a say in matters and some areas may have a winter mix of green manures which can be left till the end of winter. Always leave the soil surface as rough as possible as

Compost heap needs turning

this will expose a large surface area for weathering by winter frosts.

Keeping a good compost heap is essential for adding organic matter to increase soil fertility. I add anything that is of plant origin though it gets chopped up first to help it rot down. Rhubarb leaves, disease free potato haulms, grass clippings, annual weeds, kitchen waste, autumn leaves and wood shreddings from pruned roses and fruit bushes. Having access to cow or horse manure is a bonus.

Some plants such as sweet peas will benefit from taking a foot deep trench out and forking up the bottom adding compost as you proceed. This double digging is also essential for permanent planting of roses, raspberry rows, new trees and other fruit bushes likely to be left for ten or more years.

Liming the brassica patch

The land allocated for brassicas, (cabbage, sprouts, cauliflower, kale) is normally given a dusting of lime as all of these plants prefer a higher pH value than most other crops. However it is better to buy in a soil testing kit and test the soil to find out what its pH value is then apply the correct amount of lime. Add the lime towards the end of winter but well in advance of planting.

Green manures sown in late summer onwards or in spring for late planted crops will add a huge benefit of organic matter, added nitrogen and other trace elements and help to break up a stiff soil.

Wee jobs to do this week

Geranium stock plants

As autumn begins to fade and winter weather arrives it is time to remove geraniums from tubs, borders and hanging baskets. Although we have had a few mild winters they seldom survive once the temperatures drop. They can be cut back and potted up with good compost as stock plants and kept in a cool but frost free greenhouse or windowsill. Once they put on some growth the tops can be taken out for cuttings as well as keeping the plants stocky. Then in spring and early summer as the young cuttings begin to grow upwards take out the tops to encourage them to branch and use these tops as another batch of cuttings to increase stock for the summer display.
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SCOTTISH GRAPES

SCOTTISH GRAPES

Most gardeners love a challenge. We do our best to grow a wide range of normal plants to a high standard, but then enjoy trying to grow the rare, the unusual or those deemed to be too exotic for our area, climate and soils. I have taken the challenge up

Sampling the wine

with outdoor peaches, figs, saskatoons and grapes. We like to think that if Scotland can get just a wee

Black Hamburg

bit of this global warming through climate change then those exotic plants normally associated with tropical climates might just grow in our gardens up north. Saskatoons were easy to grow and very soon adapted to our soils giving us excellent crops. Why figs are not more widely grown outdoors in Scotland is a mystery as I have had great success with Brown Turkey provided you gave them good drainage, fertile soil and restricted root growth at an early age. With mild winters becoming more normal the fig is happy to produce numerous ripe fruits for several months in summer. Hardy outdoor peaches are a bigger challenge as the problem of peach leaf curl disease is a huge set back with our colder and wetter climate. It is nice to get four peaches on a tree, but we really would like to get a few more before we consider them

Grapes fermenting

a success.

Brant grapes

2018 was a unique year as global warming stayed with us right throughout summer. The four summer months could not have been sunnier and temperatures were consistently way above our normal, but this came with a severe lack of rainfall. However as long as the hose was in use to keep plants watered all the plants were very happy. I have been growing a range of grape varieties outdoors in my garden and on my allotment to see if some of them could be considered worthwhile. This warm summer was brilliant for the vines giving excellent growth and providing numerous bunches. However the weather in late summer and early autumn was not in their favour. The bushes produced plenty bunches with good sized grapes, but lack of sunshine in autumn held back the conversion of sugars. Over several years many varieties have been tried and some fell by the wayside. Polo Muscat and Muscat Bleu just never got the wood ripened enough to produce a

Black Hamburg just picked

worthwhile crop of grapes. Solaris suffered the same fate so I transplanted a vine to the greenhouse and it just loved this protected environment. It is an early variety so was a good match for Siegerrebe, another early variety from Germany which I grow in my greenhouse. Both have a Muscat flavour so they were both picked in early September at the end of a glorious summer. I had enough for a good demijohn of wine and the juice from the crushed grapes had a specific gravity reading of sugars at 1086 which will give me a wine with 11% alcohol.

Solaris in August

Black Hamburg in the greenhouse gave huge grapes and was ready for picking in October. My two outdoor red varieties Regent and Rondo were also picked at the same time. These grow on a south facing fence and are fairly sheltered. However although together they gave enough grapes for three demijohns, the sugar content was a bit lacking with a specific gravity reading of 1070 which would only give about 9% alcohol so some sugar was needed to increase the strength to an acceptable level of  11%. My last grape to be picked was Phoenix giving me about twelve pounds of sweet white grapes, but only suitable for wine due to having too many seeds.

The only dessert grapes suitable for growing up north is Flame, a red seedless variety, and Perlette a white seedless variety. Black Hamburg does make a good dessert grape but needs thinning to increase grape size as it still has a few pips.

Lifting chrysanthemum stools

Wee jobs to do this week

Lift chrysanthemums stools and dahlia tubers for storing, now that

they have finished flowering. Shake some soil off the chrysanthemum stools then box them up into seed trays with fresh compost and keep them moist but not wet over winter. They really need a cool greenhouse or cold frame that is frost free. Cut back stems to about six inches and make sure they are all labelled. With dahlia tubers you need to remove all the soil and dry them off for storing in an airy but frost proof shed and keep them totally dry. Both will produce shoots for cuttings next spring.

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