Gardens & Homes
Expert Agnes Stevenson on easing yourself back into the garden
The start of January can seem like a slow time in the garden, but if you look a little closer you’ll find there’s more going on than you might imagine. In my garden the daffodils are emerging, their tips appearing fresh and green against the dark soil. Camellias and azaleas are already carrying the buds that in time will clothe the garden in flowers, and there’s even a rose in bloom, its red petals making a splash amidst the dull backdrop of winter.
The list of things to be done before spring arrives is a lengthy one, but I’m determined not to be so focused on getting ahead that I miss the many small pleasures that lie in wait, such as the emergence of the first snowdrops, the scent of winter box and that moment when the hellebores open their petals.
After being stuck indoors during the festive period, it is invigorating to step outside again into fresh air and to start working off the effects of too much trifle and a surfeit of Quality Street. And I’m planning to do it by moving dormant shrubs and planting up those that, until now, have been in pots.
But if, like me, you’ve done nothing more strenuous over the past couple of weeks than sit on the sofa and watch reruns of Morecambe and Wise, then you’ll need to take things slowly to start with. Give your muscles a chance to warm up or you could find yourself back on the sofa again this time nursing painful strains. My main goal for the week ahead is to tidy the border that runs across the front garden. I’m aiming for relaxed cultivation and not a handsoff approach, so I will need to get rid of the weeds and ferns that spread like wildfire.
These are tricky to get rid of. Try pulling them out by hand and you’ll find yourself holding a fistful of foliage, leaving behind a wiry stem that refuses to budge. Rather than dismantle our drystone walls to get at the roots, I now just snip them off as close to their base as possible, hopefully before they’ve had a chance to disperse the brown spores that cling to the backs of each frond. There are a few shrubs to be removed too, including some potentillas that are taking up too much space, and a cotoneaster that’s threatening to grow into a monster. Cut back cotoneasters and they respond with extra vigour, so keeping it in check isn’t an option. Instead, I’ll have to find it a new home somewhere in the garden. Once these are out of the way I plan to introduce wood anemones, dog’s tooth violets and trilliums to provide a succession of delights with which to welcome in spring.