If you have a keen gardener in your life here is some inspiration for their perfect Christmas present!
Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post contains Amazon affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you)
Sharpening tool – if you look after your tools, your tools will look after you. Keeping your secateurs sharp is key to efficient pruning and to stop gardeners getting tennis elbow, from too much straining. A handheld sharpening tool is a practical, small and handy gift that would be perfect as a stocking filler. I like this one by Speak & Jackson which is easy to hold and use: https://amzn.to/3ZSuqaQ
Wilding by Isabella Tree – this book is astounding. It tells the story of the Knepp Estate in West Sussex. Over the last decade they have let the farmland go – literally go – to see what it might return to. It is a fascinating read, and once you’ve finished it, you will want to go and visit it is not too far away from me in Surrey and it’s on the list to visit in 2024: https://amzn.to/46ul5sr
Hand cream – I love the gardener’s hand creams from O’Keefe’s or Crabtree & Evelyn. Completely different packaging on each, appealing to two varieties of gardener! And if you have some really sore hands I can recommend the Tamanu Balm from Tropic Skincare. I put it on before bed after wreathmaking and it does its magic overnight!
Wildlife camera trap – many a gardener and keen naturalist would love to see the nocturnal wildlife that lives in their garden. A camera trap records night footage you can review the next day, to discover what goes on in the dark in your garden.
Bird feeders and supplies – I’m always keen to encourage birds into the garden for me to watch, but also to help with pests. Practical or decorative, whatever you choose will be warmly received, I’m sure.
A really thick kneeling pad – I’m very much a kneeling gardener. Mainly for weeding, but also for planting, I find kneeling much easier on my back. A really thick kneeling pad makes this work much more comfy. This one is plain but does the job: https://amzn.to/46G2Dgc
A rose, named for someone or somewhere special – I’ve always fancied the job of being an imaginative plant-namer! Roses, in particular, have some beautiful names including place names. Browse the David Austin and Peter Beale websites for inspiration: you are bound to find a rose whose name has special meaning. Some of my favourites are Olivia Rose Austin, Hot Chocolate and Scarborough Fair.
Dear Friend & Gardener – letters between Christopher Lloyd and Beth Chatto show us their friendship and their trials and successes in their 2 very different gardens: https://amzn.to/46qvN31
Metal Bird decorative birds – I love these birds that are made in Britain and bought the Owl for my Dad. The metal prong makes it easy to attach the bird to a tree or wooden post. Have a look at the whole range but I particularly like the Wren: https://amzn.to/3RPEjo1
Can I also plug my Garden Hoedown? You can buy a voucher for someone who is stressed out by their garden .. someone once called it Garden Therapy!
I hope that gives you some ideas. (I’m also hoping my family might be reading this too!) Have a fantastic Christmas and here’s to a blooming good 2023!
Here are your list of Garden To-Dos for December :
Outdoor Pots : A cold spell is due this month so protect your potted plants by raising them up off the ground to protect from ground frost. Bring them close to your house or walls in groups to give them some shelter from the elements and to create a micro climate of pots next to a warn wall. Anything really tender might need wrapping in breathable fleece or by being moved into a greenhouse or shed.
Leaf clearing : Leaves should be cleared from lawns and from around smaller leafed plants like alpines .. they need some room to breathe and more importantly for air to ventilate their own stems and leaves. Create leaf piles in the backs of beds or in untidy corners for insects to over winter in.
Planting : Continue planting trees and shrubs throughout the winter avoiding really water logged or frozen soil. This is the time to plant bare root plants such as Roses, which are really good value for money. Cold winds and frost can loosen the soil around recently planted trees and shrubs .. so keep an eye on anything you’ve planted and firm down the soil if required.
Pruning and Tying in : Most deciduous trees and shrubs, including Roses can be pruned over the Winter and its easier to see what you’re doing when there are no leaves on. Make sure any climbers are tied in securely to their supports to avoid any damage over the Winter.
Harvest : Its time to lift any parsnips and root crops you have left in the ground. After the first frost is the foilk lore for parsnips so their starch turns to sugar and makes them nice and sweet! Even better roasted in the oven and drizzled in honey for the last 15 minutes!
Or book a Garden Hoedown for an hour of one to one garden therapy and you’ll come away with a personalised action plan to get the most out of your garden!
A Garden Hoedown is what I called my Garden Consultation Service, purely because ‘Garden Consultation’ sounds so boring! Someone once called it Garden Therapy as they were feeling so stressed and overwhelmed by their garden and not enjoying it all! Others have found it really helpful at different times:
– perhaps you’ve recently moved in and are overwhelmed by the garden you’ve inherited
– you’re about to put your house on the market and want it to make a good impression
– you’ve just built an extension and can now see your garden more
– or perhaps you’ve spent the last 18 months using it more and you have a niggly feeling it could be working better for all the family!
The Covid Lockdowns have made us look at our outdoor spaces in a different way. Being in our gardens has made us re-think and re-prioritise all sorts of things as our gardens have given different meanings for all members of the family. You might have gained a puppy, or be working from home more. You might want to entertain outside more often and for a longer part of the year, or you might want to continue to the quiet and solace your garden brought you.
A Hoedown might be for you if you don’t need a full garden design but want input from a professional garden designer, gardener and prolific garden user! Here’s how it works:
Here’s what Claire had to say following our Hoedown:
“I spent a lovely hour in my back garden with Renée having a Hoedown. She is so enthusiastic and knowledgeable. I feel very inspired now and, most importantly, confident that I can change my garden to suit my family. Renée listened to what I hoped to achieve and asked all the right questions. I can’t wait to get started and thanks to Renée’s follow-up email with links and reminders of what we talked about it didn’t matter that I forgot most of the plant names we talked about! Thank you”
In your garden for an hour! I bring my secateurs, a blank pad of paper, pens and my trowel
I send you a Summary report afterwards – including any sketch ideas and links to inspiration, suppliers, contractors, or plants
COST: £150 within a 5-mile radius of Redhill paid upfront to secure the meeting (I’m more than happy to travel further afield but will need to factor in travel time and costs)
You can also buy a Hoedown Voucher for a loved one who is not enjoying their garden. So if you know someone who you think could do with some Garden Therapy.
Buy your Voucher here and I will be in touch for the wording and contact details.
What would you want us to spend our hour discussing? Let me know in the comments below!
I’ve had some discussions recently on whether Autumn is a good time to be planting or not so here’s my take on the subject:
Autumn is the best time of the year to plant because the soil is nice and warm after the summer and there is more rain around.
Autumn planting also gets plants in the ground and ahead of the game for the next year.
Autumn weather often stretches right up till Christmas so planting can too. But avoid planting when the ground is waterlogged or frozen.
Autumn planting can look underwhelming! Perennials might be finished and dying back, Roses can be bare rooted and look like dead twigs and once bulbs are in the ground they disappear!
Remember folks we’re planting for the F U T U R E!
Here are your list of Garden To-Dos for November :
Lavender : Cut back the flower stems of Lavender and trim each stem down by half to stop them getting leggy. Cut back into a section that still has green leaves though as bare woody sections won’t grow again.
Roses : Prune long stems of Roses by a third so they don’t get damaged in any high winds over the Winter.Remove the fallen leaves of Roses if they had black spot this year to reduce the risk of infection again next year. Don;t put these leaves in a compost bin that you will use.
Lawns : Aerate your lawn by pricking it with a garden fork all over. This helps with compaction but also allows space for oxygen to get into the soil.
General Tidy Up : Don;t tidy up too much! Seed heads create beautiful silhouettes during the Winter but are also a food source for wildlife.Remove leaves from lawns but create leaf piles in the backs of beds or in untidy corners for insects to over winter in. Raking leaves is a great workout!
Compost : if you’re emptying pots of summer bedding … spread the compost from the pots on your beds as a mulch. Now’s the time to also empty your compost bins. Anything at the bottom that’s broken down into a nice brown, crumbly consistency can be spread on your flower and vegetable beds to add its nutrients into your soil. No need to dig it in .. the Winter frosts will break it down for you.
Typically, we think of July as Summertime in Britain. Hampton Court Flower Show, Wimbledon and The Proms all feature this month and are markers of a British Summer. Then picture the quintessentially British Summer Garden and I bet you see beds of jumbled up Cottage Garden favourites, jostling with each other for space and competing with their colour!
Actually, July in the garden can be somewhat different! It’s a bit of a green month; sometimes providing a bit of a lull between the fresh greens and colours of Spring and the more intense colours that come with those plants flowering in late Summer. So, if you’re feeling a bit jaded in this heat and your garden is too here are some ideas for planting to pick you up in this July gap!
Lavender – the colour seems more intense than usual this month and I wonder if the dry weather is helping to lock in the colour and scent! It typically likes dry conditions, not liking heavy clay soils and the potential for soggy roots! Shear off the flowers after they have flowered and then shear again in the Spring to keep the bushes compact as they are prone to getting leggy and woody.
Hibiscus – the flowers on Hibiscus look so tropical but love the conditions in Britain. It’s just getting going in July and will last into the Autumn. Prefers a well-drained soil too and a hard prune in Spring.
Roses – Is it just me or have they been spectacular this year? Whatever your favourite colour or scent you will find a Rose for you. Just keep deadheading or picking them and they will flower for you all Summer long, if not year long! Prune them over the Winter, removing anything that is dead, damaged or diseased and a 3rd of stems and they will thrive and flower for you.
Allium Sphaerocephalon – is the later flowering Allium and was all over the Flower Shows this year. It’s a dark purple and tear dropped shaped and looks great planted through a border. Remember to plant in groups of odd numbers for bigger visual impact but a great plant that even when the flowers have faded will leave a striking seedhead for you to enjoy for the rest of the year.
Yarrow (Achillea) can be spotted at this time if year with it’s flat topped umbels and feathery light green foliage. It comes in a variety of colours, prefers well-drained soils but again gives you striking seedheads when the flowers have faded. All you need to do is cut them down when they look too scruffy and wait for the flowers again next year.
The Butterfly Bush (Buddleia) is tough as old boots! But produces the most beautiful flowers and (as its name suggests) the bees and the butterflies love it! Cut it down every Spring so it doesn’t get out of hand and it will reward with you flowers and scent!
Just a few ideas to bring some colour to July. Let me know what your favourites are.
