Gardening in January
Now the Christmas festivities are over we can start January afresh and prepare for a new gardening year. It may seem that the garden is asleep but there are lots of jobs you can still do.
September, a Good Time to Plant
After the summer heat September brings the first signs of Autumn with shortening days, lower daytime temperatures and soil that is damp with early morning dew but still warm. Such conditions are perfect for planting as the remaining ground heat is great for root growth. Here are some plants we recommend to plant now for your containers and borders.
The tubs and hanging baskets we planted in the Spring will begin to look tired. September is a good time to replant them so they become established and look colourful through Winter and next Spring.
Of course we can use the usual bedding plants like Pansy, Viola, Bellis, Mysotis and Wallflowers but other hardy, evergreen plants can be used too. Grasses, evergreen alpines, perennials or even small young shrubs can be planted in tubs or baskets and next May taken out and planted in your borders where they will grow to their full size so allow plenty of space.
Some recommendations are Ajuga Burgundy Glow 12cms with cream and purple leaves and small spikes of blue flowers in the spring. Carex Evergold, a small grass with green and yellow leaves, which looks great partnered with Red Sedums.
Dwarf Conifers are great for centrepieces in pot displays. Chamaecyparis Rubicon has blue green foliage turning purple in Autumn, Cupressus Wilma has soft yellow foliage and Thuja Smaragd is dark apple green with an erect habit.
Cordyline Torbay Red with its palm like display of red sword-like leaves on a central stem is another great centrepiece plant. It is evergreen but may need fleece protection in very cold weather. Juncus Spiralis, the Corkscrew Rush, has twisted green leaves and grows up to 45cm tall.
Lavender Munstead and L. Platunum Blonde all have evergreen aromatic leaves as well as their famous mauve perfumed flowers in summer time. Euonymus Emerald Gaiety has compact growth with grey green and white leaves excellent for shady places. Santolina has bright silver foliage with yellow flowers in summer.
Sangina Moss has soft, apple green foliage, Thymus Gold Queen neat yellow foliage and Lysmachia aurea lemon yellow foliage which will trail. Lamium Beacon Silver has bright silver foliage while White Nancy has white flowers loved by bees. All excellent for winter hanging baskets.
Choisya Ternata Sundance is a popular evergreen with aromatic bright yellow leaves, the green variety Choisya Ternata White Dazzler and Camellias, shade loving plants with blowsy spring flowers, are all good plants for large tubs.
Heucheras provide foliage colour in hanging baskets and containers. H. Electric Plum has intense purple leaves with black veining and pink flowers, H. Curly Lemon has yellow curly leaves and white flowers and H. Topaz Jazz, is a honey colour changing to lime green with white veined leaves.
The hardy Cyclamen Coum and C. Hederafolium flower between September and February. Plant in Alpine Sink Gardens or allow to naturalise in shady borders. The cyclamen that are sold for hanging baskets and containers are a hybrid of the hardy and tender cyclamen. C. Midi has a good colour range flowering from September to March in sheltered areas, C. Outsider is hardier with more intense leaf colour or C. Rocolina has fluted and ruffled flowers in pink, white, purple and red.
Hellebore Viv is a new introduction of The Christmas Rose that will flower for a very long time from Autumn to Spring.
They are easy to grow hardy perennial plants to brighten those dark winter days. The flowers range in colour from double white Gianna, spotted pink Celestina to double dark purple Luisa. They all have 3 flowers on each stem with semi evergreen foliage. They prefer alkaline soil and a shady place to thrive. Cut back any old leaves in spring as the new flowers and foliage form.
The Universal Delta Pansies are Winter and Spring flowering. Grow in well drained compost to prevent damping off in Winter. Plant them before the middle of October to make a large plant that will flower for 8 months. Planted later than this they often won’t flower until the Spring time. Pick off the old flowers to keep new ones coming.
Another season is about to begin, Embrace it with some new plants.
How to Care for Your Houseplants in Winter
Houseplant growing has been a favourite hobby of mine for many years. I particularly like growing exotic and tender plants that can live inside the house in winter and outside in Summer. Houseplant growing has gained popularity again having been a hobby since the Victorian era.
Plant a Tree for November
Trees are vital for our countryside and gardens in both rural and city environs. The chlorophyll in the leaves absorbs carbon dioxide from the air and converts it to oxygen, vital for human and animal life, and glucose the main food source for plants.