July - soaking it all up

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March: warming up

Is it really happening? Is spring really knocking on our door?

Everything always look a bit of a disaster area in the garden at this time of year. The only things that seem to be stealing a march on everything else are glowering green weeds making their claim on the border. All, however is not lost.

If you need courage, inspiration and motivation then seek out, sniff out and look out for the spring stars. They are of course the unmissable Daffodils, Crocus and varieties of Cyclamen and small Anenome. More strikingly many Hellebores are coming into their own and on a larger scale the Daphne family are giving off a striking scent. Spring flowering cherries are beginning to flower and on acid soils Fothergilla is coming out.

I realise that for many, these plants are probably just unpronounceable names in an already over-complicated world.

A great way to introduce yourself to them is to go around a garden with an established collection and, importantly, a garden where the plants have labels with the full Latin names. I can't think of a better place than the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens in Braishfield in Romsey where play areas for children have recently been upgraded. You also get a cracking tea there!

Importantly the soil at the Hillier gardens is neutral to slightly acid. This means you will discover and enjoy range of plants you would never find on chalky soil. Many National Trust properties and estates tick all those boxes too.

So, if you are like me and find excuses to do anything but the garden chores, you may be encourged to know that there are some quite simple and satisfying tasks to do this month:

• Get stuck into those Hybrid Tea and Floribunda roses by pruning them back a third to just above a bud. If you didn't get to do the Autumn prune of a third then you will need to take them back two-thirds. This is to encourage new, healthy growth and to tidy them up. By the way - most of your garden roses will be Hybrid Tea and Floribunda roses.
• Prune those strikingly colourful Cornus (Dogwood) stems unless you have the 'Sibirica' cultivar, which is best done every 3 years.
• Cut back the tender perennials that missed the autumn cut back in order that they got the winter protection they needed. Perovskia and Penstemmon fall into this category.
• Get a head start on the weeds by hoeing out what is there ( mind out for the emerging Forget-me-nots) and spreading mulch onto the borders. You need to lay down a decent depth of mulch to about 2"-3" in order for it to be last through the summer and for it to be effective. 
• Divide clumps of perennials that have become too dense. You will doing them a favour as the more overcrowded they are, the less healthy they are. As a rule of thumb, look to do this every 4 years or so.
• Plant out your pond plants either directly into the marsh areas or into baskets with enough gaps to allow the water through. Ensure they are planted deep enough so they are still submerged when the pond levels drop in the summer.
• The birds are beginning to nest. Wool, pet hair or even your own Goldilocks will all help and encourage them.

The garden will soon be coming to life and be a stage for all sorts of hidden dramas and less-than-hidden ones too. To be honest I prefer these dramas to the Hollywood ones. 

Less chance of getting causing a stir among all those delicate flowers when you get the names wrong.

February : pond life

I have had a lot to do with ponds in the past 12 months.

Natural ones, fancy ones, clever ones and smart ones. I wouldn't say it has been a dreamy love affair but probably more like your average project; great enthusiasm followed by the reality of it all. The hard work is, well, hard work. Moments of exhilaration are matched by bewilderment and a touch of pure hatred at times.

All this is worth it of course when it comes good. There is tremendous satisfaction when the waterfall falls where it should, when the fish re-appear and the wildlife begin to find a new home. So if you haven't guessed by now - making ponds is not for the feint hearted!

If you were thinking of embarking on a water project this year there are a few things to bear in mind:

• The rewards from having even a small amount of water is that a host of wildlife will usually appear including dragon-flies, frogs, newts, bird life coming for a drink and even hedgehogs having a sip or two.
• It doesn't matter how big or small the pond is - unless you have sloped sides running into the water the little critters can't get in or out. You may even drown a hedgehog.
• The soil you use to create 'bog' or 'marsh' areas should be very low in nutrients because nitrogen (that is typically found in fertilizer) will feed the algae and weeds. 
• Any static water in the natural world will incline towards become marsh and ultimately scrub woodland. To cut across that evolution you need to intervene in some way. This might mean having a pump to circulate the water but will certainly mean clearing out leaves and debris every now and again to prevent silt accumulating.
• Avoid situating a pond in shade or near heavy leaf fall.
• Even a tiny pond will attract wildlife but the bigger the pond, the more stable the core temperature will be and so it will be less likely to warm up to conditions that encourage algae.

If I haven't completely put you off then do consider a pond project but please bear in mind safety considerations especially with toddlers and baby hedgehogs!

As far as garden maintenance goes for this month there are some not-too demanding tasks to be done at this time of year. This is just as well as I defy anyone to be enthusiastic about gardening on a rainy February afternoon. Undertaking the following will however bring benefits later in the year:

- Spread mulch around the base of trees and shrubs. This will help them retain moisture, keep out the weeds and retain nutrients. Avoid using freshly chipped bark as this can actually suck out the moisture and nutrients. Anything well-rotted is good!

- Flooding can be a problem at this time of year. If you need to walk on your lawn or borders then planks can be helpful. Spiking the lawn with a fork will help reduce the surface water. If it is really bad you can create tiny channels with a spade but make sure these channels lead somewhere that isn't going to create further problems. These channels will quickly close up in spring.

- If the weather and your enthusiasm picks up there are many ways to create a spring flowering container. Primula, anenome blanda, violas, winter pansies and hellebores will all provide colour, texture and cheer.

If you are really fed up then go to a park or find in your garden to smell one of the sarcoccocca family, a daphne bholua, a witch hazel or a winter flowering viburnum. 

Boy - does a nose full of one of these make a difference to a day!

                                              Witch hazel ( Hamamelis )