OUT IN THE COLD

A blossoming springtime for Brian as he attempts to keep Jack Frost at bay – and his pet pooch safe

The spring garden is in full flow now. Fresh foliage is unfurling as plants burst back into life, bees are visiting blossom on the apple trees and as daffodils fade away, the tulips are taking their place. We’ve also had a decent spell of spring gardening weather. A bit of sunshine doesn’t do any harm for the spirit and allows us to be able to crack on with the jobs.

However, with the clear skies has come a few mornings of light frost and it’s been a bloomin’ cold wind, which is keeping us gardeners on our toes.

I always think if I’m feeling the cold and having to put my jacket back on, then the plants must be feeling it too.

I’m not talking about them all, the vast majority that have been growing outside all winter will be as tough as old boots by now.

But some of the more tender foliage of seasonal plants, and those that have been protected over the winter, are worth keeping an extra eye on.

Those wily nursery and garden centre owners offer us their temptations and we may feel we are outdoors while we are there, but theirs has a clever overhead covering.

It’s partly there for our comfort but is also there to protect the plants from the elements.

We get caught out if we think all is fine and normal in the daytime spring sunshine.

We forget a cold night usually follows, where a frost can damage and blacken the soft, young foliage of our new plants.

Even worse, young veg plants or summer bedding planted out too soon can die.

I’ll be honest and admit I switched off a few weeks ago and this happened to me.

It’s sharpened my concentration levels and I’ll not get caught out a second time.

Every evening I’ve nipped outdoors and covered the plants I feel may be at risk with a piece of horticultural fleece.

This is a light and soft, white breathable material, which can raise the temperature by a couple of degrees compared to uncovered plants. Well worth the investment.

By covering plants or even bringing them back indoors overnight, we are carrying out a gardening process called “hardening off ” – acclimatising plants to the weather.

This should be done for a good week before you plant out anything you have been growing under glass from early spring.

Frost is something we need to be aware of until the beginning of June. Seems like I’m having to protect plants one way or another these days.

When we got our dog a few years ago I was quite surprised to learn just how toxic lots of plants are to them, so I wondered what to do.

Of course my new dog’s health was going to come first, but I was gutted at the thought of not getting to grow some of my favourite plants anymore.

What was my garden going to look like without the leathery leaves of the low-growing evergreen bergenia, known as elephant’s ears?

How could I manage without a reliable geranium or two? I have a planting of the variety “Rozanne” which reaches 75cm and fills its spot in my herbaceous border.

When the blue flowers with white centres start showing in June, it isn’t without a flower until the autumn frosts finish it off for the year.

There was never going to be a conversation about me giving up my beloved Daphne

tangutica, I just knew I would have to find a solution as I was never going to dig this shrub up. It was a gift from a friend for a start.

At the moment the 1m x 1m dome is covered in pinky-purple flowers which have a scent that fills my whole garden.

Finally the evergreen foliage and shape of the plant gives a bit of structure in the garden all year round.

Being a head gardener in a place where I’m constantly battling deer and rabbits, I’ve tried all sorts.

I’ve had no success applying a spray that was supposed to leave a bad taste on the foliage and I thought I was on to a winner when I found a list of plants that were apparently inedible to them.

Well, it soon became clear the deer and rabbits don’t read the same gardening magazines as I do.

It didn’t take them long to enjoy a meal of those plants too.

The only successful method I’ve had is through a physical barrier. This is also the method I used to protect my dog and keep the plants I love.

I used a galvanised wire mesh 1.2m high which is coated in green.

Surprisingly, it blends in well, making it hardly visible at all from a distance.

Jings, I’m turning into Mr McGregor!

PROTECTION: Cabbage covered by a horticultural fleece.

Bringing some plants indoors helps them acclimatise.