'Garden Column - December 2007'

[b]Beat the winter gardening blues.

This month you should be digging, cleaning and tidying in the flower garden long as possible as the weather permits.
Though herbaceous plants have died back - hold fire on trimming them down as the old growth not only help to insulate the crown of the plant against any adverse weather but it can also add extra interest with a blanket of frost upon it.
The persistence of doing a little often can cover a great amount of work in spite of the shortness of the days.
It is an advantage to complete as much as possible before the festive season sets in.
If all the major jobs are done and dealt with, then why not push on with some construction work - dig out those new beds which you aim to create, extend the rock garden or build the pergola you�ve always wanted. The possibilities are endless as long as the weather holds.

Clean up paths and drives.

Gravel pathways should be scraped and skimmed off.
To remove the surface weeds � it is best done using an onion hoe.
If you only have small patches of weeds then it is much more efficient to get on one�s hands and knees and pull them out by hand.
Once the area is clear it should leave a tidy appearance.
If you find after the removing your weeds that your path is a bit sparse on chippings then reapply some gravel now whilst the job is at hand.
Patio slabs and block-paving are best done with a weeding knife. This should remove those troublesome squatters from between the pointing.
If your path or drive is covered in thick blankets of moss or algae then an application of Brintons Patio Magic will make the job a lot easier.
Brush the area then apply with a watering can or pressure sprayer and saturate the area.
Within 2-4 days the area should show signs of cleaning and will continue to gently clean the area in the weeks to come.
Don�t worry if you are using it on concrete areas and they turn rusty brown. This is normal and the colouration will soon dissipate.

Draw up the plan for next season.

This month is an ideal opportunity to plan ahead in the greenhouse for next year.
Using your notes of successes and failures � decide on which varieties you wish to re-grow and the failures that you want another crack at.
Also before making your journey out - double check your storage area and see how many pieces of equipment (i.e. Seed trays; Pots etc.) need to be replaced.
Then with notes and shopping list in hand - take a trip to the garden centre and scan through new ranges of seeds.

Give fruit a winter wash.

Dust down the sprayer and make up a mixture of Growing Success Winter Wash.
This will help to kill off any insect eggs which have been laid on the tree to over-winter and hopefully keep the risk of infestation down to a minimum next season.