Garden Answers January 2023

PHOTOS: BAUER/NEIL HEPWORTH; SHUTTERSTOCK Meet the Contributors “This month in the garden I’ll be...” “…pruning my apples and pears and filling any gaps in the garden with winter interest.” Naomi Slade writes on wellbeing, p16 “…picking off dead leaves and flowers in my greenhouse to avert fungal diseases.” Sue Fisher explores cornus, p34 “ …drawing up plans for my vegetable and cut flower beds.” Louise Curley’s design essentials feature is on p24 “…pruning my hedges, then making a ‘dead hedge’ out of the clippings.” Advice from wildlife expert Adrian Thomas, p48 “…helping my toddler create a frog-friendly space by way of an upcycled sink-pond.” New columnist Dan Masoliver, p106 “…daydreaming about my cut-flower patch at the plot and browsing all the seed catalogues.” Gill Lockhart, Art Editor A new year…

1Black grass Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ is ideal for creating a dark, dramatic foil for bright stems. H20cm (8in) S30cm (12in) 2 Salix alba vitellina ‘Yelverton’ grows a mass of orange-red stems when cut back to the trunk each spring. Pruned this way it stays under 3m (10ft) high and wide. 3 Helleborus foetidus has finely-cut, glossy green leaves topped by lime flowers; a stately evergreen partner for winter dogwoods. (H50cm /20in S1m/3ft 3in)…

Patio project MAGNETIC MONOCHROME Celebrate the frosty days of midwinter with this stylish monochromatic display. The Christmas rose, Helleborus niger, (H30cm/12in S45cm/18in) sits at the centre of the metal planter, where stems topped with pure white blooms rise above bottle green, leathery foliage. Clumps of the common snowdrop Galanthus nivalis (H&S10cm/4in) are positioned around the edge alongside the slender, arching, black leaves of Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ (H20cm/8in S30cm/12in).…

The 44th RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, the world’s largest wildlife survey, takes place from 27–29 January. Last year nearly 700,000 participants spent an hour watching and recording the birds that landed in their garden or local park. The most commonly spotted birds included house sparrows, blue tits, goldfinches, blackbirds and robins, but keep your eyes peeled for more unusual birds that escape the snow and freezing temperatures of Scandinavia and continental Europe to migrate to the UK for the winter. Visit: rspb.org.uk for details. LOOK OUT FOR: FIELDFARES, part of the thrush family, which love berries, particularly hawthorns. REDWINGS with distinctive red patches under their wings, feeding on berries, often seen in flocks with fieldfares. WAXWINGS, showy birds with grey-pink feathers, a striking crest and black facial markings. They are…

The kitchen garden at Kew has been revamped to reduce its environmental impact and promote more sustainable ways of gardening. The new garden has a drip irrigation system for efficient watering, a green-roof shelter to increase biodiversity and reduce rainwater run-off plus solitary bee houses. With a focus on resilient crops that cope with the changing climate, the kitchen garden team is growing more than 400 fruit and vegetable cultivars. These include perennial vegetables with longer roots so they can access water and nutrients deep in the soil; oca as an alternative to maincrop potatoes, which are susceptible to blight; and a ‘mushroom garden’, which is Kew’s first dedicated space to growing fungi. kew.org…

Embrace the new year with a garden resolution or two. If you’re stuck for inspiration, here are a few ideas: Sign up to a gardening course This could be a one-day workshop or a longer course. Kew, the RHS gardens, West Dean and Garden Masterclasses are just a few providers offering a varied selection including caring for houseplants, garden design, drought-tolerant planting and growing edibles. For flexible online learning, Create Academy course tutors Include Dan Pearson, Arthur Parkinson and James Wong. createacademy.com Join a garden club The regional branches of plant societies such as the Hardy Plant Society and local garden clubs are a great way to meet other passionate growers; they also hold talks and plant sales throughout the year. Plan a garden trip Is there a garden you’ve…