November issue - Magazine - Page 49
Glenside
News
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ACTIVITIES
Illustration © Oksanaok | Dreamstime.com
DECEMBER GARDENING DIARY
It is December, and what does December bring?
Santa, of course, and with Santa come… lots of lovely
- go on think about it!
Let me help you out, dear reader. On 25th
December Santa slips down the chimney. Bear with
me now, please. Santa slips down the chimney and
delivers lots of lovely?
Yes! Crackers with cracker jokes inside! Much
more of that later.
I know it is barely December but may I wish you
all A Very Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year to
come. After what has been a truly beautiful autumn
show of colour and vitality, I am really looking
forward to those cold winter mornings where you can
see your breath and feel the tingle of frosty days. We
are so fortunate to live in this unspoilt and beautiful
part of the country, which still remains like
Brigadoon, an unknown mystery to most people.
Do any of you have a rhododendron in your
garden, and are you surprised by how tall they can
grow? The largest rhododendron in the world is
planted at the Lost Gardens of Heligan and is 82ft
(25m) in height, so yours is not too bad after all. Do
you have a cactus? Yes? Oh dear, the tallest cactus in
the world is in the Sonoran Desert in Mexico and is
63ft (19m) tall. Are you getting worried at all?
Have you had the chance to visit one of our very
many large open gardens in this country? You know,
old country estates once proud and secretive who
would only allow Kings and Queens or foreign
dignitaries past the iron gates. Times have certainly
changed as now these proud institutions welcome
ordinary folk in to view the vast lawns and sweeping
vistas of their hundreds of acres. These masterpieces
of horticulture are well worth a visit during spring and
autumn but do look out for those that open in
December and January. To see the grounds free of
leaves can be breathtaking and the January show of
early spring bulbs can bring a tear to your eye. If you
get half a chance grasp it whenever you can. You
could possibly ride a charabanc to get there!
As big as our huge gardens are today, they seem
small when compared to the largest formal garden the
world has ever seen. The gardens at Versailles
covered 15,000 acres! Can you imagine me saying to
Lady Penny, “I'm just going for a stroll around the
garden dearest. See you next year”.
Enough of this hi-brow intelligent stuff. Let's get
excited about all those Christmas crackers we are
going to pull! As I said last year, I hope you will save
the cracker jokes for me, please.
May all gardeners find their inner peas. Be-leaf in
tomorrow and make thyme for loved ones. I give you
this sage advice free of charge. If you complete all
your pre-Christmas garden jobs on time you will be
much better than me!
I salute you in advance with these words:
HAVE A HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE AND
DO EAT ALL THE PIES!
JOBS FOR THE MONTH
Firstly, make sure everyone knows what you want for
Christmas.
Hygiene in the green house is very important so take
this opportunity to clean everywhere.
Inspect all stored fruit and vegetables; discard any fruit
showing signs of softening or rot.
Inspect newly planted trees and shrubs for loosening in
the soil and re-firm them with the pressure of your
boot. Also check the stability of any supporting stakes.
Turf repairs may be carried out in mid-winter warm
spells.
Consider fumigating the greenhouse, it may secure
your plants against disease next year.
Repair broken panes in greenhouses and sheds and
insulate if necessary.
Generally reduce watering but don't neglect your plants
in the warm spells.
Pests and diseases love to live in fallen leaves and old
stems, so tidy up this month. Save any collected leaves,
etc, place in a bag and leave to rot down to provide a
lovely, healthy FREE mulch manure for next year.
Brussels sprouts taste even better after a good frost so
harvest these and other winter vegetables as you need
them.
Remove pumps from ponds that are not running all
year and drain the water feature if that is practicable to
prevent frost damage to that pump.
All pears should be brought indoors to ripen.
Check gates, fences and sheds for wind damage.
All spring flowering bulbs should have been planted by
now, if not do it as soon as possible.
Clean the lawnmower, etc, oil machines and tools well,
check which need sharpening or mending
and book them in now.
If practical lift pots off the ground just a couple of
inches (50mm) to prevent freezing. Fleece breathes
better than bubble wrap for clothing plants.
Keep bird feeders well stocked for our
feathered friends.
Make sure everyone has a second
copy of your Christmas wish list and
then wish everyone A HAPPY NEW
YEAR! Happy gardening and
please stay warm and safe.
David Penny
Page 49
