Green Fingers “The world’s favourite season is spring. All things seem possible in May.” – Edwin Way Teale In May your garden starts to show what it’s really all about. Shrubs are a riot of colour. The new leaves on trees are almost see through when back lit by the sun and the colour so vivid. New life awakens. With all the new growth and the soil damp,…
Consider planting something for endangered pollinators
Green Fingers In April the lion that is March loosens its icy grip on the garden. You need to keep on top of hoeing and weeding. Go through your beds and borders: Remove all the annual weeds now before they get a chance to go to seed. Using a border fork dig up all…
March is the month for rose pruning in your garden
Green Fingers March – this month – has a very appropriate name, growth in the garden goes from an almost stand still to quick march now that spring is here. March in the garden is the month for rose pruning. Weather dependant mid-March is ideal but if it is very cold, leave it until…
Your garden will soon wake from its winter sleep
Green Fingers “Every gardener knows that under the cloak of winter lies a miracle…a seed waiting to sprout, a bulb opening to the light, a bud straining to unfurl. And the anticipation nurtures your dream” – Barbara Winkler. Prune Buddleja and Elder right down to old wood to keep it to a manageable size…
The garden is full of odd jobs that need attention
Green Fingers At this time of year when your garden shows the bare bones of its skeleton, you can see things that you normally don’t and it’s much easier to reach the bits that need attention. Fix or replace broken fence posts or panels, if left to blow over and back in the wind…
It’s time for gardeners to prepare for winter
Green Fingers The amount of time you spend in the garden in November is usually governed by the weather on the day, not the amount of jobs to be done. When a task becomes a chore, it is no longer enjoyable. Leave it and come back to it again when you can take it…
Your garden should be a haven for native wildlife
Green Fingers During the month of October your garden performs the quickest and most dramatic change of all, from cool greens to fire reds, oranges and yellows, to bare branches. Go through your shrubberies/borders, remove all weeds so they don’t get an early start next spring. Give them a gentle tidy up, removing only…
Now is a good time to move those evergreens
Green Fingers As our climate get milder, our season of autumn starts later in the year. It’s late September or October before the colour palette starts to change to the rich reds, golden yellows and deep oranges of autumn. September is an ideal time to plant evergreen shrubs and conifers, or to move established…
Your lawn is not dead – it will return with rain
Green Fingers If our heatwave persists until August, the amount of jobs you can do in the garden will be down to the bare minimum, but there is still work to be done. Don’t be tempted to do too much at once, take breaks, drink fluids and remember, “no man ever drowned in his…
Dog days of summer have arrived for your garden
Green Fingers The dog days of July usually bring the heat of the summer with them. If your lawn dries up and turns brown, raise the height of your mower and keep cutting it, just not as often. This keeps it tidy and stops it going to seed. Resist the temptation to water it.…