Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2008/January 2009 | Page 79

GARDENING

Bringing the
outside in
Just as you might cut flowers from
the garden over the summertime
to use in the house, there are lots
of ways to use some of the winter
garden to decorate the home. Birch
prunings or other spent twigs
look attractive in large, tall vases,
with tiny fairy lights wrapped
around them. Look around the
garden or when out walking the
dog for pine cones, and either
spray white or keep natural and
put in a large shallow dish with
clippings of evergreen Eucalyptus
(such as gunnii species) and a
couple of church candles. How
about filling a stout glass vase with
sand or seashells, and standing
seedheads such as teasel in it for a
beach-inspired look?
The Christmas period is a great
time for partying and catching up

with the family, but it can also be
a time when finances are stretched.
‘Decking the halls’ using natural,
homemade decorations is not only
money saving but it will also give
a very festive feel to your home.
A few days before Christmas walk
around the garden collecting any
evergreens that catch your eye.
For a traditional look, twine ivy
around mirrors and picture frames,
and snake holly and laurel foliage
and berries up the stairs. For
something a bit different, pine tree
branches and Hypericum (St John’s
Wort) berries look good together.
Rosehips and Chinese lanterns can
be used to create an unusual wreath
for the front door.

life

Sally's gardening
tips for December
and January

• This is a good time of year to take stock of
your garden and make plans for any re-design
of areas that need a revamp or change. This
might involve taking out shrubs or trees that
have outgrown their spot or planting out
new hardy specimens. Most trees and shrubs
are best planted out now (bare-rooted plants
can only be planted out during the dormant
period) as they have a better chance of
establishing. During dry spells, you can still
lift and divide herbaceous perennials. This
will increase stocks, and revive tired or poorly
flowering clumps.
• Order seed catalogues, if you have not done
so already, to select next year’s bedding and
perennial choices. You will have more chance
of finding all your choices in stock if you
order well before the spring. For something a
little different in the garden next season, try
Thompson and Morgan’s new tree lily. They
are reported to reach up to 8ft and take on a
shrub-like appearance over the years. Ask in
your local garden centre for availability.
• Prune down tall-growing bush roses by
about a half to help prevent wind-rock
loosening and damaging their roots and
shorten all the branches on standard roses.
Plant bare-rooted rose bushes now.
• Repair fences, trellises and wooden
features. Once annual climbers have died away
and perennial ones have lost their leaves, treat
timber with wood colour or preservative.
Replace loose posts and those rotting at the
base before they collapse and cause greater
damage.

Next issue: Preparing the greenhouse for spring
and ideas for growing unusual veg, whatever space
you have.

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