Plot your summer success in January
Before you grab that trowel, pick up a pencil and plan for 2021. It might be the most important job you do all year
LAST year many of us renewed our relationship with our garden with lockdowns leading to new engagement with our outside spaces. So at this time of year it makes sense that we take the time to reevaluate what we have and begin to enhance or reinvent our plots. It’s a back to basics approach... examining what’s vital to us and understanding the steps which need to be taken to create our ideal garden.
This week I’m opening my gardening notebook to rediscover the step-by-step guide to what we all may need to consider. It’s my gardening equivalent of Delia’s essential store cupboard items.
And it starts with making time for reflection. Soon we’ll be on the spring season treadmill... digging, feeding, pruning and planting. But without planning we can’t guide our plots to the place we would wish them to be. January is a good month to plan.
In fact, going into the garden now can do more harm than good because if your soil is soggy there’s a danger that you will compact it by traipsing back and forth.
So, relax, get out your notebook and jot down your observations and d thoughts. And the first thing to consider is what your space offers.
Here’s what to think about:
Where you live and what your local climate is like
WE are lucky to have a mild climate with few extremes which means we can grow a big range of plants.
However, there is a considerable difference between the mild but windy coastal climes of the South West, the drought-prone South East and colder northern regions which present different challenges.
The aspect of your garden
REMEMBER there is no point in battling against prevailing conditions. If it’s too shady for the big flower garden, you can still achieve beauty and interest using the plants that will flourish in partial light. Note where the sun is at different times of the day and various times of the year.
Soil – this is the most important thing
UNDERSTAND what type of soil you have and work to improve it. This will be the best garden investment you make. Healthy soil is the basis of a productive garden.
If you can analyse what you have you can understand what you need to do to improve it and what will grow best. It also means that where you want to grow productive plants such as fruit or flowers, or put on an abundant display of foliage, these areas will need investment in the form of digging in stuff that’s good organic matter.
Dare to dream about what you want
UNDERSTAND the type of garden that you love, that’s appropriate for the conditions you’ve got, and suitable for your circumstances, budget, and time available for maintenance. Is it time to declutter? Sometimes the answers are easier than you expect. If you don’t want a complicated plot, look at the line and shape. Simplify by replacing scalloped borders with one big flowing line. Consider removing finicky features such as rockeries which can be very challenging to maintain once weeds get in.
Styles that are complex can be very rewarding but their implementation and maintenance can be hard going.
Cottage gardens, new perennial styles and large collections of pots and containers look great but need a lot of attention.
It may be easier to manage simple contemporary ideas that use only a few materials, have strong lines and shape and feature plants that stand out at different times of the year.
In our New Year, New Approach to gardening that I’ll reveal next week, we will take a closer look at the foundation of everything that grows... your soil.