GARDENING TIPS

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As Prince Charles turns 70 today I’m wondering how many of you have a Prince of Wales hosta in the garden. Hostas need to be cut back after the first frost so if you haven’t already tended to yours, take a walk out into the garden and use pruning shears or scissors to cut it back a couple of inches removing any dried out and dead leaves.

There’s still just enough time to plant a holly bush in your garden as the best time for planting is spring or autumn. If you have well-drained but not dry soil that’s the best place for planting although most holly bushes are tolerant and will grow in almost any location. Consider what you want from your holly – if it’s luscious red berries then be mindful that only the female varieties produce these and you’ll need to ensure that you plant a male variety nearby. Water your newly planted holly bushes every day for the first week and then twice a month after that if you’re planting now.

On the subject of plants that produce

Next week I’ll be sharing my favourite Christmas tree varieties as we start to think about decorating our homes for Santa’s arrival.

An ideal plant for gracing any home at Christmas is the Christmas Cactus with its beautiful blooms in red, pink, purple and white. The Christmas Cactus is a member of the holiday cacti – a group of three commonly available for Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Your Christmas cactus will flower from late this month until January and prefers to be in a semi shaded area as opposed to sitting in direct winter sunlight. It enjoys a humid atmosphere which you can create with gravel filled saucers for keeping the plant moist. You When the stems begin to look old or damaged you can remove them to enjoy the healthy leaves and flowers until the end of the flowering season.