Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2013/January 2014 | Page 52

IN THE GARDEN
With Tina Hughes

Endings and beginnings
One year fades away slightly dog-eared
with the usual mix of horticultural highs
and lows and then, as if by magic another
one appears all bright and shiny and full of
promise. Such is the life of anyone involved
in working with the natural cycle of the
seasons and nature in all its glory. The
summer of 2013 was the warmest for almost
a decade, let's hope the trend continues for
the coming year.

It's a gift
Struggling to find a suitable gift for your
favourite gardener? Why not keep them
amused learning a new skill? There are lots
of interesting courses available to keep
them busy while the garden is a no-go zone.
Hedgelaying, willow weaving or perfecting
their vegetable growing techniques are just a
few possibilities.

Christmas roses
There's a game I play on Christmas
Day, I've done it for years and it
still entertains me. It's simple and
there are no winners or losers. The
game is just to look around the
garden and see what plants are
flowering that really shouldn't be.
For years I had a pink rose that
was always in flower on Christmas
Day, sometimes rimmed with
frost or battered by wind and rain.
Other surprises were a Passion
flower and a red geranium.

52

www.visitislandlife.com

Winter flowering
plants often have
wonderful fragrances,
why not take a walk on
a sunny day and follow
your nose?

Plants in pots die
if waterlogged
and frozen. Lift
out of saucers
and raise off of
the ground to
improve drainage.
If possible move to
a more sheltered
place.