What to do in your garden in December
Whilst December is better known for hectic Christmas preparations, present buying expeditions and over-the-top decorations, there is no need for things in the garden to grind to a halt once the cold weather sets in. Yes, digging your garden in December will probably leave you with a pair of muddy wellies top deal with, but it is also a fantastic way to blow away the cobwebs of the festive season. Getting out into your garden to plan next year’s garden landscaping or new garden designs; making time for some winter planting or simply keeping everything in the garden neat and tidy are all jobs that will make next year’s gardening that little bit better so if you’re fed up with office parties and over indulgence, how about trying a few of the gardening tips below.
Harvesting
We might normally think of harvest time as falling somewhere in early autumn but, believe it or not, if you put in the ground work earlier the year, there are still vegetables to bring in during December. Winter cabbages and cauliflowers should be ready now, as should the leeks. The latter can stay in the soil until you need them but just beware of hard frosts that make digging them up a bit tricky.
Bring in your carrots to store over winter. Packing them into peat or sand in a garden shed is the best way to preserve them.
Planting
If that leaves you hungry to get going with next year’s crops, how about some winter planting. There’s still time to plant some garlic cloves or even some onions. Get started now and you’ll have some magnificent onion bulbs hanging to dry on your garden fence come spring and summer.
Pruning
December is also a good time to prune apple and pear trees and you should also cut back raspberries that have finished fruiting. Tidying up the garden with some careful pruning will help everything stay under control next year.
Tidy Up
Finally, have one last tidy up. It might be too cold to be washing the patio or paving but it’s still a good idea to keep on top of leaves. Clearing them from garden paths will stop everything getting too slippery and you can use the leaves as mulch to improve the soil.
So, next time someone tells you that they’re fed up with all this Christmas nonsense, tell them to get out in the garden… or if you’re the cheeky sort suggest that they get straight down to Muddy Wellies to choose their Christmas tree. I defy anyone to buy a Christmas tree in Wimbledon and NOT get in the Christmas spirit.
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