In the garden shed with Jane
Greetings to all our gardeners, indoors and outdoors! I wish you all a very happy and enjoyable New Year.
Lots of people think that winter is a quiet time, with not much to do in the garden. How wrong they are!
Outdoors
Water conservation is a very serious issue and it has been in the news almost on a daily basis. Water butts are one of the best and easiest ways to save water and they are easily installed, fixed into the outdoor drainpipe. If you already have a water butt, think about connecting another to it, to take advantage of the overflow when the first butt is full. Having water available in the garden is useful and time saving. Rainwater is better for plants!
Don’t be disheartened if you’ve not had a good harvest this year. Here’s my tale of woe: runner beans shrivelled! Raspberries shrivelled! Potatoes and carrots smaller than usual! The best harvests were the outdoor tomatoes, garlic and shallots/onions.
Indoors
If you have indoor plants, move them to a sunny spot to give them as much light as possible in the shorter winter days. Don’t overwater – it’s better to spray daily.
January to April is when the seed catalogues land on the doorstep and the shops are full of seeds, gadgets and all manner of goodies for the gardener that we didn’t know we needed until we saw them. Beware! I’ve learnt over the years - take a deep breath and check what you have and what you need. Tools can be sharpened and cleaned ready for the spring. Seeds have a long shelf life - if one crop gave a good result, then sow them again this year.
Date for your diary
Seed swap!
Sunday 19 February, 3pm
Seed swaps are great fun and a chance to meet like-minded people. You don’t have to bring any seeds. I hope to see you there!
Wool seed pots
This year I’m trying out wool seed pots, instead of plastic. They are made from British wool and totally biodegradable.
I’m trying two different methods:
- directly planting into the soil, so as not to disturb the root system
- taking the seedling out of the pot and planting, saving the pot for reuse.
Wool pots are available online and garden centres. I’ll let you know how I get on in the next issue.
Don’t forget, you can sow all manner of seeds on a windowsill, bringing them on ready for early spring planting out. I’m hoping for a better growing year in 2023 and that Mother Nature is kinder to us. However, I am looking at drought-resistant crops and plants for future cultivation.
Enjoy this coming season. Remember, spring is just around the corner!
Jane