Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2013/January 2014 | Page 53

3

GARDENING
OF THE

BEST

Wreathed in smiles
Many elements make up the essence
of Christmas, the tree, the turkey, the
Brussels sprouts. But one that really puts
me in a festive mood is when I hang a
wreath on my front door. Often made
from holly and berries there are plenty of
other attractive natural options to choose
from. Three to consider: contemporary
twisted twigs sprayed gold or silver
decorated with pine cones and baubles,
any interestingly coloured conifers or
perhaps trailing strands of ivy wrapped
around a wire frame.

Early woodland bulbs will be
starting to appear now taking
advant age of the sunshine before
other plants shade them out.
Winter aconites (Eranthis hyemalis)
make a glorious display under
trees and shrubs . These members
of the buttercup family have no
invasive tendencies but can be
temperamental to get growing. The
hard little tubers benefit from being
soaked in tepid water for a couple
of hours before planting in the
autumn. Alternatively they can be
bought and planted 'in the green'
in the same way as snowdrops.
Once happily established they self

Rose tinted future
Have you ever considered
using a tree as a support for a
climbing rose? It's a great way
to add another level of interest
to the garden. A white rose
growing through an ornamental
cherry or perhaps a yellow rose
growing through a dark conifer.
Traditionally planted in winter
when they're dormant, bare root
roses are available now and can
be planted through until March.
The roots dry out quickly so take
care to protect them before
planting.

Heads up!

uch
Forced bulbs bring a to
e at
of spring into the hous
e
this time of year. To mak
spot
them last, keep in a cool
rch
on a window sill, in a po
and
or hallway. Hyacinths
ow so
jonquils flop as they gr
sh a
need support; simply pu
and
thin cane into the bulb
tie the flowers up.

Little treasures

seed gently.

Take a fresh look
December and January are the
quietest months in the garden, with
bad weather and frozen soil it's
often difficult to get out even if you
want to. This time does not have
to be wasted though; the bareness
gives an opportunity to take a good
look at the garden from a designers
point of view. A well planned garden

can bring many benefits, making it
more interesting for longer, easier
to manage or perhaps more user
friendly. Simple things such as
re-shaping a lawn edge making
a nicer curve that's easier to mow
or trimming off that annoying low
branch that you always hit your head
on can make all the difference.

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