Innholdsfortegnelse for 20 January 2026 i Garden News

Well it was certainly a case of ‘in like a lion’ where the weather was concerned in 2026! Snow and ice across the country meant that gardening took a back seat, but – as we’ve said in these pages before – cold weather is no bad thing. It’s the best way to put paid to pests and diseases and our perennials will mostly just hunker down and see it out, while the more tender ones will only ask for a bit of fleece. Bulbs need the cold to help them grow, too. The only things that really don’t like the frost are our garden birds so please try to keep feeding them. If there is one thing we can predict, weather-wise, in the coming months, it’s that it will be…

As most garden plants rest, it’s an ideal time to plant more bareroot trees and shrubs and also to move any that are in the wrong place. Reasons for moving an established shrub might be that it’s crowding out other shrubs, or being crowded out itself, or that it’s not what you want visually. If you’re ‘thinning’ a bed and have a choice of which plants to remove, it’s usually best to dig up the most recently planted or the smaller plants. These are the most likely to survive the move. Also, azaleas and rhododendrons usually have very fibrous, surface roots and they move well but, like other evergreens, they’re best moved in spring in March or April. Remember that most shrubs have roots that spread as far as the…

You can buy seed potatoes from specialists or at garden centres now. Although they’re called ‘seed’ potatoes they aren’t ‘seeds’ in the traditional sense. Instead, they’re small tubers, specially grown in areas without serious potato pests and diseases, that are certified to be free from infection and nematodes. Always buy seed potatoes that you know are healthy rather than use old ‘spuds’ in the veg rack. These may be diseased and lead to a less than satisfactory crop. Seed potatoes are generally the size of a hen’s egg. At one end is the remains of the stalk where it was attached to the plant and at the other, the ‘rose’ end, are lots of ‘eyes’, which will become shoots. It’s usual practice to ‘chit’ the seed potatoes before planting. This…

Berry good! What a year for all varieties of fruit and berries – a year to remember! A treat in store for our resident blackbirds. Martin Howells, West Malling, Kent Golden glow Even on the wettest winter days there is always something that catches our eye. The brightness of these yellow agapanthus leaves dying back illuminates the garden. Sylvia Monk, Hayling Island, Hampshire Simple solution I struggled to rake up the leaves on my bark chips between my raised beds. Now I’ve laid artificial grass, it's so easy. Cheaper than paving stones and the leaves collected can be shredded and used as mulch. Lisa Prince, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire Simon says: We never recommend artificial grass because there are alternatives that are better for the environment. But we’d also stress…

The latest from Carol's beautiful cottage garden... plus her diary for the week! Most of us start the new year with good intentions, though perhaps I should speak for myself as I do. I’m going to sow my seeds at the right time this year, I won’t sow too many different varieties of seed, I’ll prick out seedlings promptly, I’ll pot plants on and plant them out at the optimum time. Pruning will all be done by the book and cuttings, too, will be perfectly organised. By the time March ends, there’s no doubt that several of these resolutions will already have fallen by the wayside. That’s why I love taking root cuttings – I can do it now, this minute, today and over the next few weeks. Apart from…

Running out of shelves to display your houseplants? Make a macramé hanger and suspend your houseplants vertically – it’s just knotting cord together to make a pot holder! The hanger requires only a few basic materials: a ball of string, thick cord or rope, a wooden ring, ruler, scissors, a pot and, of course, a houseplant. Once you have the method sorted out, you’ll be making hangers with ease and can introduce more techniques like extra wooden rings, beads or different knots to make it even more elegant. It’s a good idea to cut the cord longer than you need it and trim it shorter once finished. Short lengths will make tying knots difficult. Vary the size and drop length of your hanger to accommodate the pot size and where…

Helping you get your best-ever fruit and veg I thought that building retaining walls on the banking would be enough of a project to carry me through spring, but as often happens in the garden, one job quietly led to another and before long the plan has grown. I’ve now decided to remodel the area beside the large greenhouse and add a smaller greenhouse measuring roughly 2.4 x 3m to give me some much-needed extra growing space. For years I’ve struggled to fit everything I want to grow into the glasshouse space available; there’s always a squeeze once seedlings begin to take off and summer crops demand more room. By adding this extra structure, I’ll be able to experiment more with heat-loving crops during the warmer months, while also gaining…

Professor Buczacki is a horticultural expert, writer and former chair of Gardeners’ Question Time Got a problem? Our Problem Solver can help! See our contact details on page 3 #GNASKTHEEXPERTS Our rhubarb is failing! Andrew Sowter, Hale, Greater Manchester Stefan says: Your large clump of rhubarb has declined over the past few seasons and this year the leaves turned yellow, rotted and the stalks were thin and useless. You ask if it can be rejuvenated. In most gardens, provided it’s left undisturbed, rhubarb will continue to crop, after a fashion, for years. Clearly, however, yours was an exception and my guess is that your plant had become infected with a problem called crown rot. The damage this causes would give rise to the leaf yellowing, withering and wilting you experienced. The…

More commonly known as ‘Granny’s Bonnet’, Aquilegias are an essential of the cottage garden. Flowering from May through to July, frilly blooms nod in the breeze above layered petticoats of clump-forming grey-green foliage. Easy to grow, these incredibly tough plants cope well with most soil conditions and are slug resistant. Perfect for filling gaps in containers, rockeries and garden borders, the blooms also make excellent cut flowers in vases and bouquets. Supplied as bare roots, delivery in March.…

Irises tend to be praised for their late spring and early summer displays, whether it’s the oh-so-desirable bearded types with their intricate blooms in a rainbow of different shades, or tall Siberian ones that add pops of colour in moist soil around water features. Yet there’s a less celebrated group of irises that deserves to be more widely grown for their winter flowers. Commonly known by the umbrella title of dwarf irises, these diminutive treasures will help lift spirits from December until March, depending on what you grow. Held on stems that range in height from 10-15cm, their flowers come in hues of blue, yellow and purple. Straight coloured ones are attractive, but there is an array of varieties that are even more showy, with petals adorned with stripes, blotches,…

Stepping stones and leafy tones Finella Davenport A suburban garden in Cheshire with flower and shrub-filled borders, raised beds, a rockery and fruit grown in containers and the ground. Most of the leaves that have fallen into the garden were added into the compost bay – but it’s so full, my husband and I gathered up some of the leaves to put in bin bags. We’ve put a few holes in the bags, tied the tops and left them in a corner of the garden, out of the way. Once the leaves break down, over the next year or two, they’ll make wonderful leaf mould. We added a few more stepping stones to position in the main border, but I’ve not dug them in or levelled them yet. There are…

Award-winning designer, TV broadcaster and best-selling author who makes the ordinary extraordinary TV and radio broadcaster Martin is an RHS judge and former head gardener It’s a new year and a new opportunity to elevate your garden in every month of 2026. And the simplest way to do that is to buy a plant from the garden centre or nursery each month through the year. It’s a classic bit of garden advice, but it really works to ensure you truly have colour and interest year-round. With this in mind I’ve compiled a list of what I think of as the most vibrant and exciting plants each month. So, see if you can schedule in a monthly plant shopping day to gather the following. January can be a struggle for colour…

It’s time to cut my autumn raspberries down to the ground, as fruit will grow on new stems produced this year. While we had barrowloads of apples, pears and quince last year, the soft fruit harvest was poor. Raspberry canes hated the heat and drought. So, I’m mulching and feeding the plot with homemade compost to help conserve moisture. I’m also dividing canes to give them more space. These tasty cakes are made using my own frozen raspberries. Cakes can be enjoyed on their own or you can add cream, crème fraiche or even Greek yoghurt. Ingredients Serves 12 100g butter  100g ground almonds  100g caster sugar  2 eggs  1 tsp vanilla extract  50g self-raising flour  1 small ripe pear, peeled, cored and chopped (optional)  100g fresh or frozen raspberries  2 tsp raspberry jam  Icing sugar…