Head Gardener's Diary - December 2009
It has been very cold and wintery this last week and the frosts have finished off the remaining bedding, and one of the last jobs to complete before Christmas would be to empty all the remaining annuals from the summer beds, but at the moment a hammer and chisel would be easier than a fork so I shall save that for a mild January day!. The frosts have killed of the top growth of the Dahlias in the entrance bed so I shall lift and pot some of them up as stock plants before Xmas. The dead-heading and cutting down are also coming along slowly as the frosts have taken longer to finish off the perennials – they have usually all died back by this time of year.
Most of the leaves are now gone, with just a few to clear out of the top of the stream which won’t take more than a morning to do, as long as the wind doesn’t get up – it has a horrible habit of being dead calm until I arrive with a rake and then deciding today will be windy after all. There are a few to clear around the main gate which is more sheltered so I can always do them instead. Other jobs at the moment include cutting back brambles and branches overhanging paths and also re-chipping some of the paths we covered a couple of years ago, to tidy and redefine them – particularly through the Autumn bank and the Jungle.
I have just been for a check around the garden knocking snow off conifers and netting. I have seen two separate foxes, one by the glasshouses and one at the back of the pond, and I have also seen an adult hedgehog walking round the back of the Conifer Circle – it must be the coldest day of the year so far, I can’t imagine why it’s not hibernating.
I’d like to thank very much all of you who have helped me to keep the garden maintained this year and those who have assisted with the Open Days. I have just been sent a list of seven Open Days for next year so I hope I can rely on your continued assistance - I really am very grateful to all of you for your hard work and support. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
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