"To wake early in the morning with the purpose of going on a walk to hear the first birds sing"

My Gökotta Gardening page has jobs that are perfect for this time of year, both practical and planning. It also includes things that catch my eye in the wider countryside. Nature often does it better then we can and is a great source of inspiration. 

As a gardener, I have come to understand being outside is a key to happiness. Humans were 'born of the land' and the more time we spend away from it, the more we become detached from it, the less we understand it - and the less we understand our wellbeing. 

Why not give yourself some time and space to breathe in the green...

During the end of 2024 and majority of 2025 house renovations trumped any extensive garden work for me. This has made me more determined to focus on my own garden in 2026. 

When I thought about doing more, the weather was so dry and hot, that it would mean a lot of watering just to keep new things alive. I was able to keep on top of the basic maintenance, grow tomatoes and peppers and in the autumn I planted up a border with a herbaceous leaning and added a few new plants in different areas. But that was the extent of my own garden work. 

This year I plan to make a list of the jobs I would like to complete each month. To keep things on a more even keel and panic less about what I "should" have done. 

In my professional career I'm always very organised; but when it comes to my garden, it just seems to all go out the window!

Every couple of months I plan to update the Gokotta page with how I am getting on and report back on my success and failures...

See below for my Spring plans...

March Garden Jobs

PRODUCTIVE GARDEN

I managed to get a number of things done including the jobs in the productive garden. The garlic has begun to sprout helped on by the warm start to March and all my perennial vegetables are not planted. 

First early potatoes

I did get some seed potatoes for the first time this year (in this garden) called 'Rocket'. I don't really have any room for them, despite the fact that planted now they will be ready for May. 

•  I haven't done the traditional method of a trench/row of potatoes

• I have squeezed them in to different spots individually 

• I have put them in a deep hole and added a bottomless pot on top to mark where they are and also to be able to 'earth' them up higher

• Not completely sure my method will work... updates to follow

To sow:

• Indoor seeds that need a long growing season (tomatoes, chillies and peppers)

• Outdoor seeds (parsnip, beetroot, peas, broad beans)

ORNAMENTAL GARDEN

Clematis pruning

Most summer flowering Clematis always look like they are completely dead in later winter, but as the weather starts to warm you will see new shoots breaking out all over the 'dead-looking' stems. 

Clematis pruning can be a bit confusing (they are in three groups) but this is an easy way to break it down.

Group 3 (flower after mid-summer) and can be pruned in Feb/Mar down to 30cm of the ground. They produce all the growth they flower on between now and late summer. 

Group 1 (flower winter and early spring) can also be pruned now but normally need just a tidy up here and there rather than anything excessive. They flower in growth made from now until winter so try not to cut them later in the year. 

Group 2 (flower before mid-summer) on growth made last year and need minimal pruning in the spring apart from to remove any dead material. 

If in doubt,  just leave any pruning if they aren't in the way and see what time of year they flower then you can decide which group they are in. 

Pruning around the garden

In March there are a number of shrubs that you can begin to prune. 

• Late flowering shrubs, like Buddleja and Caryopteris flower on growth made from now onwards so they can be pruned to a strong bud 

• Hydrangea can be trimmed back to remove their old flower heads to a pair of strong buds

• Winter stem shrubs like Cotinus (smoke bush) and Cornus (dog wood) can be cut back hard to produce new growth that will provide bright new winter stem colour

• Winter flowering shrubs can be pruned as they finish flowering. The growth they put on over the spring and summer will have the flowers come next winter

• Cut back any old herbaceous perennials stems that were left for winter interest as the new growth starts to come through

Herbaceous perennial division

This can be done in either autumn/early winter or spring. It is good for overcrowded clumps, ones that have started to die out in the middle or ones that have started to flower less.

• These can be lifted a whole clumps and divided (with a sharp knife, spade or garden forks back to back) and replanted in other areas of your garden.

Rose feeding and pruning

Pruning and feeding the roses is always something I enjoy, but I still have a very large rose on the pergola that I need to prune and tie in. I need extra height as it is a tall and vigorous (and I am short) which is why I have yet to do this (always seems something else I can do rather than getting out a ladder!!) 

Shrub planting

I also have yet to plant new shrubs/potted shrubs in the woodland garden. In the last week of February I was waiting on a couple of arrivals and the weather was still quite cold and wet. Fast forward a few days and we had temperatures hitting 14.C and lots of sun. 

I did panic a bit... but remembered that March is long and there is no rush to get my shrubs in. I will just need to monitor the watering once they are in the ground if temperatures stay high. 

Seed sowing

Most of the annuals I have can be direct sown so in March I am going to add these to a slim border I have between a path and the lawn. I do find this easier than all the potting on for annuals grown in the green house. 

• Sweet peas are in but yet to sprout...

• Cosmos and snapdragon I planted in seed trays a couple of weeks ago have germinated well and will need to be pricked out soon before the seedlings get too leggy.

Gökotta Archive

Garden Jobs January/February

PRODUCTIVE GARDEN

Most of my raised bed is currently under a sea of Nigella (love-in-a-mist) seedlings that germinated at the end of last year. It has worked very well as an accidental green manure. I pull out the seedlings where I need to plant and it will no doubt be a very pretty vegetable plot come early summer. 

Perennial vegetables

I have chosen a few perennial vegetables to grow this year. I have a large raised bed which would suit some more permanent plants. Already planted are:

•  Everlasting onions: clump forming they can be used like spring onions and also bulbs can be used for cooking too

• Perennial wall rocket

• Mountain sorrel

To plant:

• Jerusalem artichoke 'Dwarf Sunray': smaller than the regular artichoke 

• Perennial Kale: I need protection from pigeons, hence the delay in planting out

• Perennial Leek: in bulbil form I am planning on planting in pots to grow on and plant out later

Forcing Rhubarb

This is when you cover the crown on the plant to exclude light in the hope that you will get shoots to harvest earlier. I don't have a nice terracotta 'forcing jar' (one for the birthday list) so I'm using a pot and covering the hole. 

Fruit tree pruning

I did my apple tree mid-January, but there is still time for this, especially as the weather is still cold.  With apple pruning remove enough, but not too much as this can result in an explosion of vegetative growth and less fruit.

My simple steps this year:

• Removed a branch that had split last autumn under the weight of the apples

• Shortened the main leaders (longest new growth on end of branches) to about half 

• Shortened side laterals (grow of main branches) by about a third of their new growth

• Took down some very over long branches where we can no longer reach the fruit from a ladder

Pruning autumn raspberries

• These fruit on growth made the same year

• Old stems from last year can be cut down to the ground bringing on the growth of new stems for fruit in autumn 2026

• I moved all my canes in October (which were all over the garden) so fingers crossed they are happy in their new bed

Planting potatoes and garlic

• It has been very wet the past week so I'm holding off on planting garlic and potatoes 

• Garlic can be planted in the autumn for an earlier harvest the following year (which I might try winter '26/'27)

ORNAMENTAL GARDEN

Rose feeding

I confess I always forget to do this in my own garden. But having some left over rose feed from a David Austin delivery last year. I will be applying to all the roses I prune this February.

Shrub planting

I have two Skimmia japonica 'Rubella' that have been in pots for a couple of years. They were used either side of a gateway but would be happier in the ground. I plan to either put them in the 'woodland bed' (an area at the bottom of the garden with mature deciduous trees (ornamental cherries, a paperbark maple, Robinia etc) or near the back door to replace an old, and somewhat sparse, Skimmia that has seen better days.

When planting:

• Make sure the planting hole is deep and wide enough to accommodate the root ball with space to back fill with soil

• Make sure the plant is at the right height when planted (not too deep or too shallow) the top of the root ball should be level with the soil (use a spade handle or cane across the plant and hole to check)

• Firm in the soil as you go when backfilling, so there are no big air gaps 

• Water once planted

• Water regularly for the next year or two depending on size so that the plant establishes well

I have a wish list of plants (gathered over the years) and I have managed to order a few of the 'woodland' bed. These include:

• Syringa meyeri (Lilac)

• Abeliophyllum distictum (white forsythia)

• Calycanthus occidentalis (I have wanted one since training at RHS Wisley 14 years ago!)

• Cephalanthus occidentalis (button bush)

• Mahonia x media 'Charity' 

• Magnolia stellata 'Rosea' (a very small one)

Seed sowing

During the christmas break I had a sort out of my seed packets into sowing month order. This is so another year does no go by and I miss time to plant

• Sweet peas I will sow this week (I missed the autumn sowing)

• Some annuals I will look to sow and of February and into March

Winter

There is such a volume of things to be seen at this time of year, even though gardens and wider nature are often described as being 'asleep'. Some of my favourite fragrance and flowers can be found among the winter flowering plants and shrubs. 

The shorter days mean we see spectacular sunrises and sunsets at a decent time. The light is lower giving a different perspective of plants and trees often seeing them backlit. 

There are also nice garden jobs like pruning. The end of top fruit and the start of roses. Gardens show a different view of themselves and it can be nice to take time to plan new areas or the odd new plant for existing borders. Starting to think about what annual and edible seeds would be nice to grow for the coming year ahead...

Gökotta Archive 2025

Autumn

Autumn Garden Jobs

Mulching:

• You can make a start on mulching with an aim to protect and feed the soil over winter

• Just spread on top of the soil and let the worms and other soil organisms do all the mixing for you!

Keep on watering in dry weather: 

• As it starts to cool it is easy to forget that plants, especially any new plantings, shrubs, hedges and trees still might need some water

Dividing perennials:

You can start to lift and divide and older clumps of herbaceous perennials in autumn. It is a great way to get new plants and reinvigorate old areas. 

• Trimming back material above ground but give yourself something to hold on to and see when you replant

• Lift the whole clump with a fork or spade

• Divide into decent size pieces depending on how the plant seems to grow (it will often show you a natural splitting point)

• Divide with either two garden forks back to back, a sharp spade, old bread knife or a hori hori weeding knife

• Discard any bits that seem old or worn out

• Replant in the garden or pot up until you have a place for them

Cutting back:

Trim back things when they start collapsing and you want areas to look a bit neater. Dead herbaceous perennial stems make a great addition of carbon for your compost heap.

Making leafmould

If you speak to any gardener they will tell you the value of leafmould (it is like gold). It is something we can make fairly easily. In the majority of gardens there will be some degree of falling autumn leaves. You have to have patience with leafmould as it takes a couple of years, if not three, to break down fully for use in the garden. But the end result will be loved by your plants, your soil and all the soil organisms.

There are no hard and fast rules, but here are some pointers if you would like to give it a go:

• Thinner and smaller deciduous leaves (beech, acer, oak) breakdown easy that thicker types (sycamore, horse chestnut)

• Leafmould can be made by collecting leaves in bin liners or, to use less plastic you can use hessian leaf bags (but they are more expensive)

• The breakdown will be more effective if the material is wet and aerated

• Most leaves will be damp anyway at this time of year and if making it in bin liners make sure you pierce with lots of holes

• If you have the room you can have a leaf pile somewhere in the garden slowly breaking down

• Or you can make a leaf 'bin' (similar to a compost heap) but with sides made from chicken wire or similar

• Top tip: Using your lawn mower to pick up and shred leaves can often speed up the breakdown process and is easier on your back!

• Leave each years collection as a separate pile/bags and it should be nicely broken down in three years to a lovely material suitable for using as you own compost

• OR you can use sooner, but be aware it will not be fully decomposed. In this form it can be a nice mulch for borders, added to your regular compost heap a intervals if you need extra carbon or just spread on you soil and let the earthworms do the rest

Bulb planting: 

During autumn is a great time to get some bulbs in to give you extra colour for the spring. It is also a relatively inexpensive way to buy/grow new plants and the majority are not hard to grow. 

Some tips on bulb planting

• Place or scatter bulbs over an area so you can see the coverage they will give you

• You can plant individually or in groups depending on the look you want and how bulbs would naturally be in the wild, for example:

  • Daffodils look good as a single bulb or in groups (this is how they naturally build up as they grow)

  • Alliums look better as singles as they propagate by seed so naturally form a carpet, rather then a group

• Bulbs generally are planted twice the depth of their size

• Use a good trowel or bulb planted to get the right depth

• If planting in groups dig a hole at the right depth and space out your number of bulbs at the base

• Place the top (pointed bit) facing up and the base (sometimes a small rough circle) facing down

• Firm in soil on top

A few fun facts...

• Do not worry if bulbs go in late. I once planted Muscari (grape hyacinth) in frozen ground in late December and they put on an amazing display. Bulbs will settle into their own routine naturally. 

• Do not worry if the odd one goes in the wrong way up, or on their side. Shoots and roots know what they are doing and they will find the light.

• Do not worry if you don't get the depth right, bulbs will naturally pull themselves into the ground over time to a depth that suit them

• Most Tulips will only flower well for three to four years, so over time you might need to replace them as they start to disappear 

• When planting bulbs like Camassia or Fritillaria imperialis (crown imperial); that don't have a 'tight neck' like daffs and tulips, plant on their side to avoid any excess moisture getting into the bulb over winter

Late Summer

Late Summer Garden Jobs

Keep on weeding: 

As the weather cools and we have more rain, weeds will take their chance for one last bloom...

• Little and often is the key, then it won't become a huge job 

• Even if you don't have a hand fork (to hand), take off the flowers so they don't set seed

• Pick the ones that will cause the most nuisance in the future to tackle first

• Get your eye in. Pick one thing and do a weeding session on that 

• Maybe choose those that are about to flower or set seed

• Make sure you get the roots on perennial weeds (docks, dandelions, ground elder, bindweed etc) or they will just keep coming back

Keep on watering: 

• Keep any new plantings watered, especially shrubs and trees to help them through the first spring and summer

• Water everything in one go so you can leave it a few days/week before the next time

• Give things a proper soak so the water is reaching the roots and not just to top layer of soil

• Direct water at the roots and not over the whole plant

Keep on deadheading:

• Plants that repeat flower will produce more if they are dead headed regularly

• This means cutting off the spent blooms down to the next leaf bud

• It is quite a therapeutic job and one that can be enjoyed on a late summer evening

Cut back early flowering perennials

• Trimming back leaves that are tatty often gives a new flush of foliage going into autumn

• You may even get a final flush of flowers

• This works well with plants like hardy Geraniums, Alchemilla mollis (Lady's mantle) Astilbe and many more

• The key is to look for any new growth at the base of the plant and cut back to just above it

Last chance to prune Wisteria

• Shoots can be cut back to 5 or 6 buds of the main stem or side shoot

• Tie in rather than cut back any shoots you want to use to extend your framework

Start thinking about dividing perennials

The season has been very hot and dry so this is a job just to be thinking about and done when we have had more rain and we move into autumn

• Identify groups of perennials whose clumps seemed over crowded this summer

• Or crowded out their neighbouring plants

• These can be lifted a whole clumps in autumn and divided (with a sharp knife, spade or garden forks back to back) and replanted in other areas of your garden. 

Late Spring & Early Summer

Late Spring & Early Summer Garden Jobs

Weeding: 

• Little and often is the key, then it won't become a huge job 

• Even if you don't have a hand fork (to hand), take off the flowers so they don't set seed

• Pick the ones that will cause the most nuisance in the future to tackle first

• Get your eye in. Pick one thing and do a weeding session on that 

• Maybe choose those that are about to flower or set seed

• Make sure you get the roots on perennial weeds (docks, dandelions, ground elder, bindweed etc) or they will just keep coming back

• Catch annual weeds before they flower and set seed (or there will be more the next time!)

Watering: 

• Keep any new plantings watered, especially shrubs and trees to help them through the first spring and summer

• Water everything in one go so you can leave it a few days/week before the next time

• Give things a proper soak so the water is reaching the roots and not just to top layer of soil

• Direct water at the roots and not over the whole plant

Time saving watering:

• With pots, leave a 'watering gap'. This is a decent gap between the pot rim and the top of the compost. When you water fill to the rim of the pot, this will allow a decent amount of water to filter through the whole pot soaking the compost and cuts out the need to water as often

• Make tree circles/rings/moats around newly planted trees or shrubs. This is a simple hill of earth that forms a ring around a tree or shrubs base (size depends on size of tree) this can then be filled with water and allowed to slowly soak in around the root zone

• When planting,  make sure plants have similar watering requirements so they can all be watered together

Chelsea chop:

• We are coming up to Chelsea flower show week the time for the "Chelsea Chop"!

• Trim off the top third of herbaceous perennials

• This will give stocker plants

• There is less need for staking

• Flowers will be smaller, but there are more of them

Deadheading:

• Plants that repeat flower will produce more if they are dead headed regularly

• This means cutting off the spent blooms down to the next leaf bud

• It is quite a therapeutic job and one that can be enjoyed on a summer evening

Cut back early flowering perennials

• Trimming back leaves that are tatty often gives a new flush of foliage for the rest of the summer

• The plants will put less energy into seed production and often produce a second flush of flowers later in the year

Prune Wisteria

• After flowering has finished or towards the end of June

• Cut back to six buds ( a way to remember is that June is the sixth month in the year)

• Tie in rather than cut back any shoots you want to use to extend your framework

Gökotta Archive 2025

Winter Pruning

Winter pruning is a great job to do when there are breaks in the weather. 

Rose pruning can be done at this time and until the end of February (see all the details below)

Pruning apples and pears are also traditionally done in winter (anytime between November and February) when the trees are dormant. It can be daunting when faced with pruning fruit trees, but there are some very simple steps to follow to achieve a well sized tree that fruits well.

Rose Pruning

Pruning and training roses is one of my favourite garden tasks. It can often seem daunting and it is hard to know where to start (I still feel like this all the time). It is best to take things step-by-step and rememeber to trust your instinct as no two plants are the same.

The science behind the pruning...

Roses flower on wood (growth) that is produced in the same year e.g. new growth that starts in spring will go on to produce flowers. 

We ideally prune in winter (Dec-Feb) because in cold weather new buds will not grow. New growth would be killed off by frost (it will not kill the plant, but don't ask a rose to put in all the effort of growing to then lose it all).

Cutting to a bud is when we cut just above a bump in the stem. On roses these are often slightly darker in colour. Rose buds are arranged around a stem as you move up and down, but the buds will not be opposite each other.

When you cut to a bud this is where the new shoot will form. The shoot will go on to grow into a new stem. The shoot will always grow away from the stem, so you can imagine in your mind's eye what the new stem will look like when fully grown. 

The pruning of bush roses

These are what most people imagine when they think of a rose. Confusingly they have been given different descriptive names through history. 

• Floribunda or cluster-flowered - meaning 'many flowering', blooms are held in large clusters of flowers

• Hybrid teas or large-flowered - these have large single blooms and are repeat flowering

1. First remove the Three D's; dead, damaged and diseased

   • This is a great way to get started and it is easy to identify anything that looks unhealthy or damaged

   • Dead wood will be brown and show up against the fresh green growing wood

   • This includes anything dead at the base of the plant

   • Cut back to a healthy wood and a new bud

2. Prune out any congested stems

   • For roses that have been unpruned for a few years take out any congestion

   • Look for stems that grow in an awkward way or don't seem to be well placed

   • Remove anything spindly or crossing stems

   • Take out any very old thick stems

   • For most roses you are looking to have four or five well-spaced stems that allow free air flow

   • When you remove these stems, do it at the base of the plant as this will encourage new stems to shoot

   • Newly planted bare root roses can be pruned quite hard to stimulate new growth

   • Take off any 'dead pegs' from last years pruning (these are the dead bits above where the bud was cut to)

3. Pruning for rose 'type'

• Floribunda or cluster-flowered​

• Cut to an outward facing bud within 30cm of soil​

• Be hard with your pruning of less vigorous shoots to stimulate growth​

• Older stems can be reduced even further to encourage new growth​

• Hybrid teas or large flowered​

• Prune the strongest shoots to 4/5 buds of the ground​

• Less vigorous can be pruned to 2/4 buds​

• But in general they can be pruned under the same principles​

• Outward facing bud​

• Create an open centre​

• In practice you will be removing all wood over three years​

Apple and Pear Winter Pruning

1. ✂️ First remove the Three D's; dead, damaged and diseased

   • This is a great way to get started and it is easy to identify anything that looks unhealthy or damaged

   • Even though there are no leaves on the tree, dead wood will be brown inside when cut, where as living wood will be pale cream

   • Cut back to a healthy wood and a new bud

2. ✂️ Prune out any congested stems. Anything that is overlapping or crowded

3. ✂️ Remove branches that grow into the centre of the tree. Aim for an open centre for good air circulation

4. ✂️ If some branches have grown too long, these can be shortened by one third to one half

   • Cut back to a side branch that is growing outwards

5. ✂️ Pruning on smaller areas of the tree

   • Main leaders (ends of branches) are pruned back by one third

   • Strong laterals (side shoots) are pruned back to 5/6 buds

   • Weak laterals are pruned back to 2/3 buds (in the hope to stimulate more growth)

6. ✂️ Constantly pause and review your work and know when to stop

7. ✂️ If in doubt, don't​!

8. ✂️ If  fruit trees are pruned too hard, the trees energy goes into the production of vegetative growth and not fruit production​

9. ✂️ Most apples produce fruit on a fruit spur. Spurs can be thinned if over-crowded

10.  ✂️ Pear tree pruning is the same as apples, but there is more concentration on spur thinning

Winter Tool Cleaning

For cutting tools:

1. Use a wire brush to remove any plant matter

2. Use WD-40 or GT-85 on the blades and moving parts

3. Make sure they are dry when they are put away

4. They will need to be sharpened over time depending on how much use they get

Deep cleaning and sharpening:

1. I have two pairs of secateurs (very decadent, I know) so I can rotate them when one pair needs to be cleaned and sharpened

2. I break them down fully and use wire wool to scour the dirt and sap (there will be videos from manufactures showing this)

3. Use WD-40 on all the parts before giving them a wipe over and re-assembling 

4. I use a sharpening stone to keep the blade sharp (again videos will be available on this)

5. Some manufactures will fix, but also clean your secateurs for you!

6. Every few years I get replacement cutting blades with are relatively inexpensive

Embrace the seasons

Once the clocks change I feel people retreat from the garden and outdoors, but I think it is one of the best times to be out in nature. There are less jobs to do in terms of sowing and growing, and definitely less weeding! But that helps us to slow down and not feel the garden is another thing on the 'to-do' list. 

When we slow down we see all manner of things we might have missed. Plants that flower at this time of year often have fantastic fragrance. There are all manner of bright berries and fruits. In short because there is less to see, we see more...

Below there are some jobs for the season that I will regularly  add to through late autumn and winter. 

Bulb planting

Is there anything better at this time of year than the thought of new life bursting out come spring? There are all manner of bulbs to suit every taste and they can be flowering as early as February. Below are some tips and ideas for what you might like to plant.

Some tips on bulb planting

1. Place or scatter bulbs over an area so you can see the coverage they will give you

2. You can plant individually or in groups depending on the look you want and how bulbs would naturally be in the wild, for example:

   • Daffodils look good as a single bulb or in groups (this is how they naturally build up as they grow)

   • Alliums look better as singles as they propagate by seed so naturally form a carpet, rather then a group

3. Bulbs generally are planted twice the depth of their size

4. Use a good trowel or bulb planted to get the right depth

5. If planting in groups dig a hole at the right depth and space out your number of bulbs at the base

6. Place the top (pointed bit) facing up and the base (sometimes a small rough circle) facing down

7. Firm in soil on top

A few fun facts...

• Do not worry if bulbs go in late. I once planted Muscari (grape hyacinth) in frozen ground in late December and they put on an amazing display. Bulbs will settle into their own routine naturally. 

• Do not worry if the odd one goes in the wrong way up, or on their side. Shoots and roots know what they are doing and they will find the light.

• Do not worry if you don't get the depth right, bulbs will naturally pull themselves into the ground over time to a depth that suit them

• Most Tulips will only flower well for three to four years, so over time you might need to replace them as they start to disappear 

• When planting bulbs like Camassia or Fritillaria imperialis (crown imperial); that don't have a 'tight neck' like daffs and tulips, plant on their side to avoid any excess moisture getting into the bulb over winter

Making Leafmould

If you speak to any gardener they will tell you the value of leafmould (it is like gold). It is something we can make fairly easily. In the majority of gardens there will be some degree of falling autumn leaves. You have to have patience with leafmould as it takes a couple of years, if not three, to break down fully for use in the garden. But the end result will be loved by your plants, your soil and all the soil organisms.

There are no hard and fast rules, but here are some pointers if you would like to give it a go:

1. Thinner and smaller deciduous leaves (beech, acer, oak) breakdown easy that thicker types (sycamore, horse chestnut)

2. Leafmould can be made by collecting leaves in bin liners or, to use less plastic you can use hessian leaf bags (but they are more expensive)

3. The breakdown will be more affective if the material is wet and aerated

4. Most leaves will be damp anyway at this time of year and if making it in bin liners make sure you pierce with lots of holes

5. If you have the room you can have a leaf pile somewhere in the garden slowly breaking down

6. Or you can make a leaf 'bin' (similar to a compost heap) but with sides made from chicken wire or similar

7. Top tip: Using your lawn mower to pick up and shred leaves can often speed up the breakdown process and is easier on your back!

8. Leave each years collection as a separate pile/bags and it should be nicely broken down in three years to a lovely material suitable for using as you own compost

9. OR you can use sooner, but be aware it will not be fully decomposed. In this form it can be a nice mulch for borders, added to your regular compost heap a intervals if you need extra carbon or just spread on you soil and let the earthworms do the rest

Gökotta Archive 2024

I thought it would be good to share some things I have learnt along the way in gardening. Sometimes just by giving things a go you can find things that work for you, that do not necessarily follow the book. And also a few of the mistakes I have learnt by along the way...

This is also a great time of year for making new plants for free so I will aim to add some of the jobs I have been doing in my garden and the gardens I work in.

Making new plants... Bergenia or elephants ears are a fantastic plant as they will suit most situations and soil. Add that to the fact that they are evergreen and flower in late winter early spring. 

They make great ground cover and will happily 'plant' themselves to increase a group planting. They are also easy to propagate. They will naturally form roots where their stems touch the soil. See below how to propagate them yourself...

Throwing away the rule book...

Gökotta Archive 2024

It has been a summer when some plants have thrived and others have struggled. All seems dependant on when we had rain and when we had heat, suiting some more than others. This goes to show that no matter what we try to do or control as gardeners, sometimes you just have to chalk things down to experience. 

I had the joy of visiting two gardens I had never been to before and being really awed by what I saw. Powis Castle for its otherworldly hedges and majestic terraces exploding with colour and rare plants and Arley Hall and Gardens where I was not just astounded by the Kitchen Garden and Herbaceous Borders, but the whole place!

Being in these magical spaces made me think longer and harder about my garden and what I want to achieve. Some of the plants I saw, I have known in my past and completely forgotten. Seeing them again brought me the wonder I first felt and how special plants are to me. 

It also made me realise that I rush about so much that I miss all the beauty and wonder that is literally under my nose, right there in my back garden! I don't want to see a list of jobs that I feel guilty for not doing. I want to spend more time in my garden doing the thing I truly love and taking all the time to appreciate the wonders that are all around me.

So for this autumn, rather than a list of things you could be doing, I am going to note down here some of the jobs I have done and really enjoyed. Hopefully you will be able to check back to the website or see updates on Facebook and Instagram.

Take the pressure off and really enjoy your garden and green space around you. 

July Garden Jobs

Deadheading roses (and other flowering plants):

Most of the roses in my garden have been putting on a fantastic show this year. Displaying the benefits of a good prune in February. There are some that have struggled with mildew. 

Deadheading is a lovely (therapeutic) job to keep them blooming. It can be done early morning, at the end of the day after work, or a lunchtime. It is a good way to get one job done and observe what is happening in the rest of the garden. Remove the dead flower to the next side shoot, flower bud or growing point on the stem. Because it involves little bending it is a great task that does not require too much effort or energy, but you will be rewarded ten-fold with months of flowering. 

Plant Autumn Flowering Bulbs:  

This is an easy one to miss as there is a lot going on in the garden. Planting autumn flowering bulbs will give you some great late colour in the garden, just as other things might be starting to fade. There will be bulbs in shops/nurseries as well as lots of examples in bulbs catalogues. Here are some to try... 

• Autumn Crocus – just like lovely spring crocus but in autumn 

• Nerines – lovely pink flowered trumpets in November! They do need a sheltered, sunny spot or at the base of a wall 

• Sternbergia lutea – like a bright yellow crocus but with thicker petals 

• Colchicum – also known as ‘Naked Ladies’ as they flower without leaves. In pinks and whites like huge crocus. They can get battered by rain and wind, but look stunning at this time of year planted in turf or in a border 

• Cyclamen hederifolium – easy to grow, just like the spring flowering cyclamen, but pink flowers are out in the autumn. A great one for under evergreen trees 

Evergreen cuttings: Try your hand as some easy propagation by taking evergreen cuttings. Evergreen shrubs and climbers can be expensive as they offer so much to a garden. Growing a few of your own can save a few pennies. 

• Take new shoots from evergreen plants that have been produced this year (they will be at the ends of branches) 

• Cut the ‘cutting’ just below a point where leaves come out from the main stem (growth point or ‘node’) 

• Remove the lower leaves from your cutting as this is the part that will be inserted in the compost 

• Use potting compost (you can add some vermiculite or perlite to help with moisture retention and drainage) and fill a small pot making sure to firm the compost down 

• It is a good idea to water the compost before adding the cuttings so that it is moist but not soaking 

• Insert the cutting so that part of the stem is below the surface of the compost. You can have several cuttings in each pot (5/6) spaced out over the surface 

• Keep in a part-sun or shady spot for the rest of the summer, keep an eye on watering so that the compost does not dry out, but also is not so wet that the cuttings rot off 

• Towards the end of the summer you will know if the cuttings have ‘taken’ by giving each one a little tug. If there is resistance – roots will have formed. If the cutting comes straight out it will not have taken and can be added to the compost heap! 

• If they have rooted the pot can be ‘knocked out’ and each individual cutting potted into its own small pot. They can be kept outside over winter in a cold frame or sheltered spot and potted on next spring as they grow bigger 

Jobs to keep on with from June:

Cut back early flowering perennials: Perennial plants that flower early will often put out new leaves and flowers if they are cut back when they start to look a bit straggly.  

• Some examples of this are hardy Geraniums (not Pelargoniums which are tender bedding), Alchemilla mollis (Lady’s Mantle) and Stachys (lambs’ ears).  

• This will keep them flowering and looking good right to the end of the summer and into autumn. 

• You do not need to be overly precise, just cut all old material to the base of the plant and in a few weeks new leaves will start to appear 

Prune Wisteria

•  You cut back any vigorous new growth to 6/7 buds (in winter these are the shoots you will then reduce to 2/3 buds.) I find it helps to remember how many buds you cut back to; by thinking of the month...June is the sixth month in the year, so you cut back to six buds (it also works for July and seven buds!!)  

Weeding: 

• Little and often is the key, then it won't become a huge job 

• Even if you don't have a hand fork (to hand), take off the flowers so they don't set seed

• Pick the ones that will cause the most nuisance in the future to tackle first

• Get your eye in. Pick one thing and do a weeding session on that 

• Make sure you get the roots on perennial weeds (docks, dandelions, ground elder, bindweed etc) or they will just keep coming back

• Catch annual weeds before they flower and set seed (or there will be more the next time!)

Watering:

• Keep any new plantings watered, especially shrubs and trees to help them through the first summer

• Water everything in one go so you can leave it a few days/week before the next time

• Give things a proper soak so the water is reaching the roots and not just to top layer of soil

• Direct water at the roots and not over the whole plant

Time saving watering:

• With pots, leave a 'watering gap'. This is a decent gap between the pot rim and the top of the compost. When you water fill to the rim of the pot, this will allow a decent amount of water to filter through the whole pot soaking the compost and cuts out the need to water as often

• Make tree circles/rings/moats around newly planted trees or shrubs. This is a simple hill of earth that forms a ring around a tree or shrubs base (size depends on size of tree) this can then be filled with water and allowed to slowly soak in around the root zone

• When planting,  make sure plants have similar watering requirements so they can all be watered together

June Garden Jobs

Weeding: 

• Little and often is the key, then it won't become a huge job 

• Even if you don't have a hand fork (to hand), take off the flowers so they don't set seed

• Pick the ones that will cause the most nuisance in the future to tackle first

• Get your eye in. Pick one thing and do a weeding session on that 

• Make sure you get the roots on perennial weeds (docks, dandelions, ground elder, bindweed etc) or they will just keep coming back

• Catch annual weeds before they flower and set seed (or there will be more the next time!)

Watering: 

• Keep any new plantings watered, especially shrubs and trees to help them through the first summer

• Water everything in one go so you can leave it a few days/week before the next time

• Give things a proper soak so the water is reaching the roots and not just to top layer of soil

• Direct water at the roots and not over the whole plant

Time saving watering:

• With pots, leave a 'watering gap'. This is a decent gap between the pot rim and the top of the compost. When you water fill to the rim of the pot, this will allow a decent amount of water to filter through the whole pot soaking the compost and cuts out the need to water as often

• Make tree circles/rings/moats around newly planted trees or shrubs. This is a simple hill of earth that forms a ring around a tree or shrubs base (size depends on size of tree) this can then be filled with water and allowed to slowly soak in around the root zone

• When planting,  make sure plants have similar watering requirements so they can all be watered together

Chelsea chop:

• If you haven't done this already, early June is a good time

• Trim off the top third of herbaceous perennials

• This will give stocker plants

• There is less need for staking

• Flowers will be smaller, but there are more of them

Deadheading:

• Plants that repeat flower will produce more if they are dead headed regularly

• This means cutting off the spent blooms down to the next leaf bud

• It is quite a therapeutic job and one that can be enjoyed on a summer evening

Cut back early flowering perennials

• Trimming back leaves that are tatty often gives a new flush of foliage for the rest of the summer

• The plants will put less energy into seed production and often produce a second flush of flowers later in the year

Prune Wisteria

• After flowering has finished or towards the end of June

• Cut back to six buds ( a way to remember is that June is the sixth month in the year)

• Tie in rather than cut back any shoots you want to use to extend your framework

Summer Garden Update

Weeding, weeding, weeding...! With the frequent rain showers and warmer weather it seems like you cannot go a few days without noticing how much the weeds have grown. My garden is pretty wild and there are areas that are left to themselves, but at the risk of drowning out some lovely plants and vegetables I try to keep on top of things. I have the odd perennial weeds like docks and creeping buttercup, but a real issue is herb bennet... it is everywhere and if it goes to seed, the seeds hook into everything (socks, dog fur, your hair, the washing...) and transport themselves around the garden (and the house!!)

Our new greenhouse is in and it is a thing of beauty. Thank you Woodpecker Joinery for such a great job making and installing it. I now have a dry space for working and a place to raise plants. 

I have been keeping on top of the watering in dry spells as I have a fair amount of trees and shrubs that were transplanted from long term pots into the ground this spring. I have four water butts at different points in the garden which makes it easier to transport water to where it needs to be. 

We have manged to fill a sizable raised bed with runner and french beans, courgette, strawberries, radish, carrots and beetroot. There is also one section set over to annual flowers and different types of multi-headed sunflowers. 

Enjoying the flowers... there are so many surprises coming into bloom which makes things much easier to identify or it is just exciting to see what flower a Rose or Geranium has. The scent of some of the roses in this garden are just unbelievable, very heady🌹. Sorry you cannot smell them too! Also makes all that hard work and heavy lifting seem worth it...

Spring Garden Update

There has been a lot of garden work happening since the winter update. I have complete the new planting on the left hand side of the house following the removal of the Pyracantha and re-training the climbing rose. It is always amazing how much space you are left with.

The front garden is gravel and south facing, but exposed to the wind, so it is an exciting prospect for planting. I have used things that I know will be happy in this situation; Euphorbia, lavender, winter savory, Carex, Sisyrinchium to name a few. There are also plants that survived the plastic removal like lemon balm and oregano. 

In the back garden we have had a shed shift! Moving two sheds to make room on an existing concrete pad for a new greenhouse (and shed). I have also added a new border (no dig style) at the side of the pergola to add new climbers and make space for herbaceous planting next year. The grass used to be up to the path making mowing difficult and it would have been hard to establish new climbing plants too. 

I sectioned off the edge of the grass with boards, covered with cardboard and added a deep layer of compost. Wanting the cardboard to rot and grass to die, I have used annual seeds in the border for this year. This autumn of next spring I will add new herbaceous planting to mirror the area on the other side of the pergola. 

By far the biggest job was landscaping at the 'side door' part of the garden. None of this was done by me (but my hard working other half) moving nearly six tonnes of clay. It has transformed this side of the garden which we use as out main entrance. We have moved a log store and terraced the area that was slipping down from the front of the house. Most importantly we have saved all the major trees and shrubs so that area is still a leafy green tunnel. This includes roses, a tree peony, Viburnum x bodnantense 'Dawn', Skimmia japonica, Amelanchier x lamarckii and Magnolia stellata (transplanted).

I have also been able to experience some of the inspired planting from the previous gardeners, particularly Cercis siliquastrum (Judas tree) and Clematis montana. Reaching so high that it is best viewed from the top floor of the house. The pale and magenta pinks are just stunning in both early morning and evening sun. 

Spring colour

The latest weather from April has had everyone talking and it makes the high temperatures in February seem like a distance memory.  What I have liked is that it has delayed all the flowering, or things have flowered for the period they should do rather than a boom and bust spring, when it is summer before you know it. 

Out on the hills have really enjoyed seeing the blues and acid greens which I have realised are a combination I love. Whether it is the new leaves on oak and beech trees or the fresh fronds of bracken or ferns; the fresh green makes me so happy. A florist once told me lime greens bring everything together. The green in turn makes the blues seem sharper; forget-me-not, bluebell and green alkanet.

Early Spring Garden Jobs

Tool Cleaning

For cutting tools:

1. Use a wire brush to remove any plant matter

2. Use WD-40 or GT-85 on the blades and moving parts

3. Make sure they are dry when they are put away

4. They will need to be sharpened over time depending on how much use they get

Deep cleaning and sharpening:

1. I have two pairs of secateurs (very decadent, I know) so I can rotate them when one pair needs to be cleaned and sharpened

2. I break them down fully and use wire wool to scour the dirt and sap (there will be videos from manufactures showing this)

3. Use WD-40 on all the parts before giving them a wipe over and re-assembling 

4. I use a sharpening stone to keep the blade sharp (again videos will be available on this)

5. Some manufactures will fix, but also clean your secateurs for you!

6. Every few years I get replacement cutting blades with are relatively inexpensive

Clematis pruning

Clematis pruning

Here are some easy steps for how to identify which Clematis you have, when and how to prune it...

• They fall into three groups, One, Two and Three

Group One

• Earliest to flower, over winter and into early spring

• Many are evergreen

• Flower on shoots from the previous seasons growth

• Prune after flowering; when no more frost

• Only need pruning if need thinning or have outgrown their space

• Can renovate them by cutting back to 15cm of the ground. This will affect the flowering the following year

Group Two

• Flower before mid-summer; May-June time

• Flower on shoots from the previous seasons growth

• Prune in Feb/March and can after first flush of flowers in summer too

• Do not prune too hard

• Remove dead shoots after bud break (so can see which bits are living)

• Can prune back to an old framework to stimulate new shoots

Group Three

• Flower after mid-summer; July-August

• Flower on shoots from this years growth

• Prune Feb (March at the latest)

• All old stems can be cut back to 15/30cm of the ground to a healthy bud

• If they are unpruned they will continue to growth from where the growth ended lat year so can become top heavy with flowers only higher up

Lawn maintenance

Most lawn maintenance is carried out in the autumn but some early lawn care can be done in March...

• Get you mower serviced and the blades sharpened

• If the weather has been dry, you can scarify your lawn in late March

Scarifying

• • • Scarifying is when you remove the 'thatch' from the grass (moss, dead grass and other dead material)

    • Use a spring tined rake and rake vigorously over the lawn

    • Collect up the material and add to the compost heap or use moss to line hanging baskets

    • It always looks a bit rough when you have finished, but will quickly recover

    • Scarifying allows air and light to get to the growing point of the grass with is at the base near ground level

• Grass seed sowing can be done from now until September and is a good way to improve any bare patches or damaged areas

• New turf can be laid in March if the weather is not too wet

Perennial jobs

Spring is a great time to get started on your herbaceous perennial jobs...

• Lift and divide old clumps just before or as they start to come into growth

  • Over time clumps start to die out in the centre and need to be divided to keep them flowering their best and sometimes to stop them from collapsing outwards

  • The whole clump can be lifted and divided into sections

  • Divide with either a sharp spade, two garden forks back to back or and old bread knife

  • New clumps should be planted straight away

  • This is a great way to get new plants for free!!

• Start to think about gathering materials for plant supports 

  • This can be pre-made metal one

  • Alder or hazel twigs twisted together

  • Sticks and string, using the string to make a 'web' between the sticks

  • Stakes and large hole netting stretched over the top

  • When they start to grow you can get supports in place that will be hidden as the plants grow upwards

Seed sowing

Seed sowing can begin in early spring depending on how much space you have to grow things

• If you are lucky enough to have a heated greenhouse, you can start seeds that need a long growing season to produce fruit and ripen (chillies, aubergines, peppers and some tomatoes)

• Half-hardy annuals (marigolds, tobacco plants, stocks etc) can be started off for bedding plants

• Outside towards the end of March crops like first-early potatoes, shallots and garlic can be sown

• Some crops like leeks, parsnips, peas and spinach can be sown but will probably need some form of protection

Wild cherries

Late Winter Garden Update

I have now completed most of my rose pruning and training in the garden. Although there are a couple of shrub roses I still need to deal with. At last count I have 15 roses in total, with the David Austin climbing rose 'Malvern Hills' on its way!

The majority I have no idea what they are and have done some guess work with pruning and this year will be the test to see how they do. I have also had to deal with some that have been planted in the wrong place, so textbook pruning does not apply. 

I was lucky enough to work on a climbing rose this week for a client which I really enjoyed hopefully encouraging as many flowering shoots as possible and giving them a rose they can enjoy. 

The front garden is almost ready for planting... mid-February saw me removing yet more plastic and also the huge Pyracantha (fire thorn). Always a sad thing take out a plant (not to mention exhausting hacking out the roots) but I have planted my well travelled (10 years, 4 houses) Hamamelis 'Orange Beauty' in the area. 

I knew it was time to go in the ground and it rewarded me by coming into flower a week later. Very excited for further plant plans I have for this area. The soil is very stoney, but over heavy clay and the area is south-west facing but gets less sun than the other side of the front door.

January/February Jobs

Winter pruning is a great job to do when there are breaks in a any rainy weather. 

Rose pruning can be done at this time and many of the same principles apply that are discussed below for the pruning of climbing and rambling roses (see the sections on "why and what do we prune"). 

Pruning apples and pears are also traditionally done in winter (anytime between November and February) when the trees are dormant. It can be daunting when faced with pruning fruit trees, but there are some very simple steps to follow to achieve a well sized tree that fruits well.

Apple and pear winter pruning

1. ✂️ First remove the Three D's; dead, damaged and diseased

   • This is a great way to get started and it is easy to identify anything that looks unhealthy or damaged

   • Even though there are no leaves on the tree, dead wood will be brown inside when cut, where as living wood will be pale cream

   • Cut back to a healthy wood and a new bud

2. ✂️ Prune out any congested stems. Anything that is overlapping or crowded

3. ✂️ Remove branches that grow into the centre of the tree. Aim for an open centre for good air circulation

4. ✂️ If some branches have grown too long, these can be shortened by one third to one half

   • Cut back to a side branch that is growing outwards

5. ✂️ Pruning on smaller areas of the tree

   • Main leaders (ends of branches) are pruned back by one third

   • Strong laterals (side shoots) are pruned back to 5/6 buds

   • Weak laterals are pruned back to 2/3 buds (in the hope to stimulate more growth)

6. ✂️ Constantly pause and review your work and know when to stop

7. ✂️ If in doubt, don't​!

8. ✂️ If  fruit trees are pruned too hard, the trees energy goes into the production of vegetative growth and not fruit production​

9. ✂️ Most apples produce fruit on a fruit spur. Spurs can be thinned if over-crowded

10.  ✂️ Pear tree pruning is the same as apples, but there is more concentration on spur thinning

Rose Pruning

Couple of basics; always use sharp and clean tools when pruning. It is so much kinder to the plant and so much easier for you. 

Use a really good pair of gloves that are leather based or similar. Rose thorns can be really vicious, especially climbing and rambling roses. I use what I have always called "Leather Touch", but are in fact Gold Leaf. (There is a christmas present for every gardener with a rose!) The gauntlet style are perfect for rose pruning, and they also do a shorter pair that are handy too.

Tools you will need are secateurs, long handled loppers, pruning saw and maybe scissors for cutting the string when you tie in (for climbing and rambling roses). The loppers and saw are for any thick wood you remove if a rose is overgrown.

Why do we prune?

Pruning and training roses is one of my favourite garden tasks. It can often seem daunting and it is hard to know where to start (I still feel like this all the time). It is best to take things step-by-step and rememeber to trust your instinct as no two plants are the same.

The science behind the pruning...

Roses flower on wood (growth) that is produced in the same year e.g. new growth that starts in spring will go on to produce flowers. 

We ideally prune in winter (Dec-Feb) because in cold weather new buds will not grow. New growth would be killed off by frost (it will not kill the plant, but don't ask a rose to put in all the effort of growing to then lose it all).

Cutting to a bud is when we cut just above a bump in the stem. On roses these are often slightly darker in colour. Rose buds are arranged around a stem as you move up and down, but the buds will not be opposite each other.

When you cut to a bud this is where the new shoot will form. The shoot will go on to grow into a new stem. The shoot will always grow away from the stem, so you can imagine in your mind's eye what the new stem will look like when fully grown. 

The pruning of bush roses

These are what most people imagine when they think of a rose. Confusingly they have been given different descriptive names through history. 

• Floribunda or cluster-flowered - meaning 'many flowering', blooms are held in large clusters of flowers

• Hybrid teas or large-flowered - these have large single blooms and are repeat flowering

1. First remove the Three D's; dead, damaged and diseased

   • This is a great way to get started and it is easy to identify anything that looks unhealthy or damaged

   • Dead wood will be brown and show up against the fresh green growing wood

   • This includes anything dead at the base of the plant

   • Cut back to a healthy wood and a new bud

2. Prune out any congested stems

   • For roses that have been unpruned for a few years take out any congestion

   • Look for stems that grow in an awkward way or don't seem to be well placed

   • Remove anything spindly or crossing stems

   • Take out any very old thick stems

   • For most roses you are looking to have four or five well-spaced stems that allow free air flow

   • When you remove these stems, do it at the base of the plant as this will encourage new stems to shoot

   • Newly planted bare root roses can be pruned quite hard to stimulate new growth

   • Take off any 'dead pegs' from last years pruning (these are the dead bits above where the bud was cut to)

3. Pruning for rose 'type'

• Floribunda or cluster-flowered​

• Cut to an outward facing bud within 30cm of soil​

• Be hard with your pruning of less vigorous shoots to stimulate growth​

• Older stems can be reduced even further to encourage new growth​

• Hybrid teas or large flowered​

• Prune the strongest shoots to 4/5 buds of the ground​

• Less vigorous can be pruned to 2/4 buds​

• But in general they can be pruned under the same principles​

• Outward facing bud​

• Create an open centre​

• In practice you will be removing all wood over three years​

Pruning and Training Climbing Roses

The pruning of climbing roses

1. First remove the Three D's; dead, damaged and diseased

   • This is a great way to get started and it is easy to identify anything that looks unhealthy or damaged

   • Dead wood will be brown and show up against the fresh green growing wood

   • This includes anything dead at the base of the plant

   • Cut back to a healthy wood and a new bud

2. Prune out any congested stems

   • For roses that have been unpruned for a few years take out any congestion

   • Look for stems that grow in an awkward way or don't seem to be well placed

   • If there are too many stems to tie-in in one area remove the ones that are weaker

   • Take out any very old thick stems (but always check what is growing off them)

   • When you remove these stems, do it at the base of the plant as this will encourage new stems to shoot

3. Cut flowered shoots back by two thirds

   • If you have an established framework, you may just need to do an annual prune

   • Shorten any flowered stems by two thirds

   • If you want to extend the framework you can tie in new growth before pruning

How to tie in

For my climbing rose I needed to put in new rose wires. The wire is fairly thick but still plyable. The fixings are called screw eyes. Wire is attached (twisted) to the first screw eye and then threaded through others in the same line before being pulled tight and wrapped around the last in line.  

The wires run horizontally across the wall, with about 4/5 bricks distance between each wire.

The tie in when creating a new framework...

This can be a painful job as it is hard to tie string with gloves on! Roses are very strong an you often need to exert a certain amount of force to bring them to the wire to tie into place. My roses was a beast with huge thorns and smaller ones all over the stem. Be as careful as you can.

1. Make a cuppa and assess the plant

   • Having a proper look at your rose before pruning helps to establish where and how you will tie-in

   • Work out where stems are growing and if possible keep them going in that direction

   • By taking the time now you will save yourself having to untie or change later

   • Use natural string or twine to tie in. As the plant grows the stems will thicken and naturally the twine will break, anything stronger will cut into the stem and damage the plant. The stem will become stronger with age and be able to support the plants weight and won't necessarily need to be tied in.

2. Start with those closest to the wall

   • Pick your first stem that naturally is next to the wall/support

   • Tie to the nearest wire and then work your way up the stem tying as you go

   • Tie your stem where you want the framework branch to grow

   • Try to see in you minds eye what it will look like as it grows thicker

   • Try to tie in as horizontally as possible (this encourages buds to 'break' (grow) so you will have lots of flowering stems next summer)

   • Try to only have one stem per wire

   • Tie in so that the whole wall is covered high and low

3. Always tie to the wire: NEVER put stems behind the wire

   • When tying in, loop around the stem, cross over the ends and then tie to the wire

   • Or the opposite: loop string around the wire, cross the ends and tie around the stem

   • It is a good idea to have string between stem and wire so they do not rub together

   • Never tuck in growth behind the wire. As the roses grows it will get stuck and any further renovation/pruning would mean taking down the wires and the whole plant (not much fun!)

Final thoughts...

Gökotta Archive 2023

November Garden Update

1. 🪜 Always take a 'before' picture! It is so easy to forget how things were. Case and point this my 'after' picture of the woodland border I would like to create. I only did a few things but it changed the look completely!

2. 🪜 Wait a full turn of the seasons so you know what is there. I am too impatient, but I did wait for things to naturally die back in the autumn/winter season. It made it easier to start and to see what was worth keeping. It also makes the task a bit less daunting and there is less vegetation to deal with.

3. 🪜 View from all angles. This is the main view of the border, but it can also be seen from the right and left that are also access points. It is good to consider how these views will look. Don't forget views from the house too like second floor windows .

4. 🪜 Make a wish list. Go crazy with your initial vision for an area and keep updating and adapting as you work the space or see things you want to add or implement. Being flexible means you will naturally flow in one direction which will often suit the space as a whole. 

5. 🪜 Start with the quick and easy things. I removed a big invasive grass (that is all over the garden) and any weed tree seedlings (mainly ash) that had been allowed to grow. Just these small adjustments completely changed the look of the space. The grass and weeds trees had created a mid-storey that is now gone leaving trees, large shrubs and ground cover. It has opened up the area and created options for planting.

6. 🪜 Get everyone involved. When doing these projects it is nice to include others so everyone becomes invested in garden improvements, helping out, planning and planting.

Waste material in your garden

At this time of year there is always an abundance of waste material from gardening. Therefore I thought you might enjoy some ideas for what to do with some of your waste.

Making Compost

If there was one gardening subject that there is countless advice on... it is composting. So to hopefully make it less complicating for you, here are the basic facts:

1. There needs to be a rough 50:50 split of carbon:nitrogen in a compost heap

   • Carbon=brown things. Anything woody and twiggy, (e.g. cuttings from dead herbaceous, leaves, sticks)

   • Nitrogen= green things. Anything vegetative and leafy (weeding, vegetable waste, grass cuttings)

2. Whatever your compost receptacle (plastic compost bin, wooden sided bays, a pile in corner of garden!) make sure you have TWO for 'turning'

   • For example add waste material to one 'bay' only, until it is full, leave for a few weeks then turn into the second 'bay'

   • Turning is when you literally turn your full heap over into another 'bay' to add air and mix the compost

   • This speeds up decomposition

   • Top tip: if you can, use a pitchfork when turning your heap. It is much easier to use with partially decomposed material than a garden fork

3. The hotter your heap, the faster the breakdown of material and you will have less weed seeds. You can heat your heap by:

   • •  Making sure it is damp

     • Have the mix of green and brown

     • Covering your heap with a bit of old carpet or thick black plastic

     • The large heap retains more heat

4. If your compost seems a bit dry when you turn, add water

5. When adding waste material make sure it is as small as it can be for faster decomposition

   • This is more for any woody waste

6. Make sure the base of the heap is in contact with the soil 

   • This is so soil organisms and worms can get in to help the decomposition process

7. Compost heaps will initially generate heat aiding bacterial breakdown. As the heat reduces it is the turn of the fungi to start a slower breakdown process of the woody material

8. You do not need open sides in a bay system for extra air (if anything it prevents the heat build up)

9. Depending on the size of your heap and the heat it reaches you can have usable compost in six months

Making Leafmould

If you speak to any gardener they will tell you the value of leafmould (it is like gold). It is something we can make fairly easily. In the majority of gardens there will be some degree of falling autumn leaves. You have to have patience with leafmould as it takes a couple of years, if not three, to break down fully for use in the garden. But the end result will be loved by your plants, your soil and all the soil organisms.

There are no hard and fast rules, but here are some pointers if you would like to give it a go:

1. Thinner and smaller deciduous leaves (beech, acer, oak) breakdown easy that thicker types (sycamore, horse chestnut)

2. Leafmould can be made by collecting leaves in bin liners or, to use less plastic you can use hessian leaf bags (but they are more expensive)

3. The breakdown will be more affective if the material is wet and aerated

4. Most leaves will be damp anyway at this time of year and if making it in bin liners make sure you pierce with lots of holes

5. If you have the room you can have a leaf pile somewhere in the garden slowly breaking down

6. Or you can make a leaf 'bin' (similar to a compost heap) but with sides made from chicken wire or similar

7. Top tip: Using your lawn mower to pick up and shred leaves can often speed up the breakdown process and is easier on your back!

8. Leave each years collection as a separate pile/bags and it should be nicely broken down in three years to a lovely material suitable for using as you own compost

9. OR you can use sooner, but be aware it will not be fully decomposed. In this form it can be a nice mulch for borders, added to your regular compost heap a intervals if you need extra carbon or just spread on you soil and let the earthworms do the rest

October Garden Update

A gardener's journey... continued

Further work on the front garden has revealed heavy plastic under the main covering of gravel. I have decided to remove this because, as always, soil has ended up on top of the plastic, which weeds grow into (making it useless as a weed suppressant). But more importantly it is not doing any good for the soil. Water can still pass through any holes, but the soil underneath seems compacted and lifeless. I would like self-seeders to populate this area and I want the soil to breathe again.

There are lots of Cyclamen in the garden and the one below has the corm part exposed from the soil. I was clearing some old mint stems when I discovered it. Corms start off about the size of a golf ball (but flat) and grow over time. This one is over 10cm diameter. You can see the new flowers coming up from the middle.

Overgrown shrubs are a dilemma in this garden. The Pyracantha at the front corner of the house is beautiful at this time of year with it's red berries. But it is completely overgrown. I have given it a trim tidy up, but its main stem is very thick and the forward growth excessive. You can do a hard rejuvenation prune on Pyracantha and it will recover well (option one) or I could completely remove it (option two). Watch this space...

Late Summer Purples

A gardener's journey...

For many who follow me regularly, you will know I have recently moved to a permanent home after years of travelling around. Although I have always approached each of my gardens with enthusiasm, there is always the knowledge that one day I will have to leave them. It affects what I plant and buy. Tree and shrubs have had years of being potted in to the next size container and never allowed their roots into the soil, lest they be left behind. 

Now faced with my own permanent plot, honestly, I feel completely overwhelmed. 

• Which area to start first?

• What jobs to start, when everything needs doing?

• Where to plant things I have brought with me?

Let me set the scene for you, so you can take part in this journey too...

Garden History

The garden is in Worcestershire close to the Malvern Hills. Six years ago the house was owned by a gardener who spent most of her career working at Kew. You can see the majesty of the garden by looking at the older shrubs and trees. Paperbark maple (Acer griseum), Liquidamber, Judas-tree (Cersis siliquastrum), holly-leaved sweet spire (Itea ilicifolium), the list goes on. There are things I can't even name yet. Roses, roses everywhere. She was an expert in planting for year round colour (she even wrote a book on it.) 

But the garden is overgrown, or things have outgrown their space or things have been changed for safety (a drained pond). So it is overwhelming to know where to start and also what can be kept and renovated to its full glory or removed to allow others space to grow. 

Garden Areas

There is a south-east facing front garden.  A decent size by all accounts under the overgrown wall shrubs and roses and self-seeded Verbena, Euphorbia and lemon balm. It runs along the front of the house to a depth of about 2/3 metres and is gravelled with quartzite pea pebbles.

The back garden is north-west facing. I has many different large borders around the edges with a good patch of lawn in the middle.  A pergola creates a natural barrier on the right hand side of the lawn to the vegetable garden. This comprises of a huge raised bed surrounded by gravel (covered in weed seedlings). The pergola had to replaced two years ago resulting in a lot of the climbers being cut down, they have still survived, but with thick re-growth at the bases.

There is also a 'side door garden', fully in shade, north facing. This is dominated by a massive overgrown Choisya (Mexican orange), huge tree peony and a number of very old shrub roses.  

The majority of the trees and large shrubs in the garden are deciduous which means there will be plenty of leafmold come late autumn!

How to tackle the overwhelm

I think it is always key to have plan when you feel overwhelmed by a task. Even if that plan changes as you work a garden (and it always does). 

• Splitting into areas means that you can focus your attention on one particular part

• Having a garden book or similar so you can record you thoughts, ideas, plant 'wish-list'. Digital is also good, but I'm a paper person as it is too easy to get distracted...

• Pressing jobs. It might be clearing a path for easy access or harvesting apples before they drop. There are somethings that might need doing sooner than later

• Easy jobs: removing anything that is obviously dead, weeding a patio, cutting the grass regularly. These things allow you to work in the space and get a real feel for it

• Sit back and wait... Once the pressing things are done, can you give yourself time to just see what happens in the garden over the next six to twelve months? Getting to know your garden is the key understanding how you are going to grow together.

First Steps

• Start on Front Garden: For me this will be trying to create some kind of order. 

  • Pressing jobs like pruning and tying in the wall climbing rose (it keeps attacking anyone who tries to reach the front door!). 

  • Plastic that needs to be removed under the gravel. There is now so much soil on top of the plastic that weeds just seed into the gravel anyway. I would like to give the ground underneath a chance to breath.

  • Cutting back so you can use the steps that access the side door entrance.

  • Possibly removing a Pyracantha that has grown well beyond its bounds and is causing damp in that corner of the house.

• Start feeding the soil in the vegetable garden... I am just embarking on distance learning course on No Dig Gardening (Charles Dowding). It seems to make so much sense and could be the perfect solution for saving time in the vegetable garden and looking after the soil. (I am also hoping to trial this method in the wider ornamental garden too.)

Midsummer Shots

The nomadic gardener... Garden moves

You might be lucky enough to never have to "move" a garden. As a gardener it can be an emotional experience to leave a space you have put so much love and hard work (not to mention money) into. It is impossible to take everything with you, but that is why gardening is so intoxicating.

A garden is a living and breathing thing, constantly changing whether supervised or not. We are merely the custodians for a time. That might be six months, two years or forty years, but they are entities in their own right. 

What we can do is take pieces with us, to start a life somewhere new, carrying small reminders of where they came from and the journey they have been on with us. 

Here are some ideas when moving a garden, or having a non-permanent green space. 

Time of year

If I could choose the best time to move it would be early spring or late autumn. This is the best time to lift plants like herbaceous perennials. Not only is it the right time, but they will thrive in their new environment because splitting and dividing is the natural way to get new plants. 

Bulbs can be moved providing you are not in their key season of flowering. When leaves have died back, the energy for next years growth and flowering is already stored in the bulb. Mark things you want to move and lift when ready. 

Empty mushroom crates (used in restaurants) are great to store and move bulbs. They are light, stack on top of each other and also allow airflow so the bulbs don't rot. Bulbs can then replanted at the normal time of year (e.g. spring bulbs lifted at the end of spring can be replanted in autumn). If you cannot plant in the ground, planting in pots for a year or more will still give you a great show and they can be stored out of sight when not in flower.

Moving shrubs is more tricky, but can still be done provided they can either be temporarily potted up or transported and planted as soon as possible in their new location. It is best to do your research so you know they are happy being moved. They might need to be pruned to reduce top growth, so the roots have less to support in the short term.

Over the years I have made sure that shrubs I know I will need to move, live in pots, are slow growing and I re-pot every two years to keep them healthy. I choose plastic pots, mainly ones with handles (recycled from the plants trade) so it is easier to move them. Once they reach their limit in terms of weight/pot size, I refresh the compost instead and feed and water to keep them healthy. Remember when you buy things, always have a long term plan of when they will have roots in the ground. They are always dreaming of the wide, endless earth!

Moving trees is not a great idea. If you need to buy a small tree and know you will move, consider the pot option above. 

Summer moves: 

This is a hard time of year as everything is in full growth and you have the heat to contend with too. If you are going to move plants, make sure you reduce their green growth so they have less to support, take as much root ball and soil as you can and water, water, water! Before, during and after moving to give them the best chance. 

Winter moves: 

Another tricky time but for other weather extremes. The ground might be frozen or water logged. Plants will often struggle being replanted if the ground is too wet or cold. If possible potting into 3/4/5 litre pots in the autumn and replanting in the spring is a good idea. You can also control the pot conditions, moving things around to make the best of the elements. 

You might also forget what plant is planted where. If you have an impending move it is good to make note during the spring and summer what you want to move and mark with sticks, coloured string, labels etc so nothing gets left behind when the top growth dies back. 

Cuttings and seed

This is the best way to move plants and shrubs that you love, but know you will have to leave behind. This might take some forward planning as you will have more success with cuttings taken at the right time of year (e.g. hardwood cuttings in late winter). It also means you will be making more than one new plant. Cuttings can grow 4 or 5 to a pot initially until you are ready to pot on or plant out and it makes physically moving plants much easier. 

Seed is an even lighter option. Again forward planning means you can gather at the right time of year and most seed can be stored for at least a few years until you are ready to grow new plants.

To avoid disappointment, research the best way to propagate a plant whether it be division, cuttings or seed. Remember they reproduce in nature and the best results are often from how plants naturally do it. 

Logistics

From a multiple mover, trust me, you will always have MUCH MORE  to move than you think you do. This goes not just for plants, but all the other gardening paraphernalia you collect over the years. A good sort out can really help. 

For example; I only keep recycled pots that are really sturdy or all of the same shape (in sizes). There might be tools you have never used that can be donated. Can you keep the information on old plant labels in digital form? How out-of-date is that seed? (incidentally always experiment to see if old seed germinates). One thing to keep and recycle is your old compost bags. These are great for moving divisions, plants will often be fine for a week (spring) or a few weeks (autumn) in bags until they are in their new home.

Plant Care

Digging up: 

Try to leave this until the last minute so that plants are out of the soil for as little time as possible. Take as much root ball and soil (within reason) as you can to cause the least amount of stress. You can pot up, but only if you know they will be out of the ground long term. As mentioned, try to reduce the amount of green matter above ground by about 1 to 2 thirds (depending on the plant) so that the roots aren't trying to support too much. Using old compost bags, hessian sacking, bags for life (my favourite) are all great for moving plants. 

Watering: 

Getting this right is key to plant survival. Too wet and roots will rot, too dry and roots will die back. Aim for that ever impossible "moist, but well drained". If there are in bags remember even if it is raining they might not have access to that water so checking every few days is essential. You also might need to make additional drainage holes.

Replanting:

It takes time to get the feel of a new garden. You don't want to rush planting and then decide to move position. If movers are in pots, you have more time to assess your new garden to find the right place for them. 

You might have a number of things in permanent pots, so your hardest task will creating new pot displays!

If you have things in bags, but know it will be a while before they can be in their final spot, ideally find some open ground that you can temporarily "heel" them into. This involves digging a trench, adding the plants (without their bags), covering in soil and firming in with your heel. It will stop them from drying out and they will be happy for a few weeks. When it comes time to plant they can be lifted gently with a garden fork. 

With any new planting, watering is key. If you move is spring/summer it is likely they will need watering all though the season until it starts to cool down. If you move in autumn/winter it is still important to monitor moisture and how much rainfall there is. Plants that are establishing are affected by winter wet, and also by dry winters. Always water new plantings when they go in even if the ground seems wet enough.

Emotions

It can be so hard to leave something that cannot be moved, like a tree or large shrub. Sometimes this has no impact, but ask most gardeners and there will always be a few special plants with lots of memories. Normally attached to people. These ones are the hardest to leave and what I have leant is either try to take a piece or have in a moveable situation (pot/cutting/gather seed etc). 

Mine move with me; as a small carob tree in a pot, planted from collected seed that has always lived unsheltered defying even the coldest winters. An unknown Hosta simply named after its last owner and the worn stone gnome with his moss filled wheelbarrow.

Healthy soil = healthy plants 

Soil has a number of functions. It physically supports plants, holds air, water and nutrients needed for plant growth and it is home to soil organisms that are essential in making soil suitable to support plant life. The amount of water and oxygen available in the soil is key for healthy plant roots and plant growth. By improving our soil everything benefits.  

Here are some ideas for you to try in your garden to improve your soil health. 

Add Organic Matter

Organic matter is the partly decomposed remains of plant and animal life.  In a natural setting organic matter is produced as a cycle, but in garden situations this cycle gets interrupted. The reduction in organic matter means the quality of the soil drops.  

Humus is fully decomposed organic material. It can hold 80-90% of its own weight in water. It attracts and holds plant nutrients and prevents them from leaching from the soil and it physically aerates the soil. 

By adding organic matter to soil, it improves structure, water holding capacity, drainage on clay/heavy soils, water and nutrient retention on sand/light soils and it helps to heat soils quicker in spring. 

Sources of organic matter to try (with pros/cons): 

Garden compost 

• Cheap to produce 

• Green method of waste disposal 

• You return what you take out 

• Needs to be pest, disease and weed free 

Stable manure (with straw not sawdust) 

• Great soil conditioner 

• Encourages earthworm activity 

• Often free if you collect yourself 

• Heavy, messy and smelly 

• Cannot be used fresh 

Leafmould  

• Excellent all rounder  

• Great soil conditioner 

• Good solution for autumn leaves 

• Takes a long time to break down 

Make your own Compost

Even on a small scale making your own compost is a great way to get rid of garden waste and is fantastic to add back to the soil.  

Two compost bins/bays will enable one to rot down while fresh material is added to a second. Once decomposed, the first bin is emptied (used on the garden) and the second ‘turned’ into the first bin/bay.  

‘Turning’ is the simple action of moving semi-rotted compost from one place to another. It aerates the material, increasing the heat and speeding up the composting process. 

It is important to get the green:brown (nitrogen:carbon) mix right in your compost heap. Green refers to anything soft and leafy, while brown material is woodier and drier. It is better to have a higher carbon content in the mix, although this is often harder to achieve given that we have more green waste. To increase the amount of carbon, think about adding shredded cardboard/paper to your heap. You are roughly aiming to get a 35:65% mix. 

Remember the smaller the material is when it goes into the compost heap, the quicker it will take to decompose.  

Add some Seaweed

Using seaweed on gardens dates back to the 16th century when it was added fresh as manure in coastal areas. By the 1950s several manufacturers were making dried and rehydrated extracts. The perception at the time was that it increased the soluble nutrient supply for plants.  

More research from the 1980s found that seaweed extracts not only promote healthy plant growth and reproduction, but also stimulate the activities of soil microbes. They found there was a direct link between the microbial activity and the concentration of the seaweed extract. Soil microbes are important as they release nutrients in the soil for root growth. 

How this translates into plant growth: 

• Boosts photosynthetic processes 

• Raises plant stress thresholds 

• Boosts natural defence mechanisms 

• Plants are better able to cope with environmental stresses such as drought or water logging 

Seaweed can be brought in dried or liquid forms and can often be added as an additional foliar feed to plants or applied directly to the soil. It is best to research to find the right product for you. 

Minimise soil disturbance

This is a great job as you don’t have to do anything!  

No dig is the effort of not interrupting the natural cycle and profile of the upper soil. In nature soil organisms are doing this work and release nutrients needed for healthy and strong plant growth. 

With minimal disturbance: 

• Soil health is more sustainable 

• Plants grow stronger 

• Less loss of soil water 

• Less need for fertilisers 

How is it better for the environment as a whole? 

• Less release of carbon 

• Less soil erosion 

• Soil is more stable 

• Soil is in a more natural state 

• Less need to water 

• Less need for fertilisers  

• Active soil life are self-sufficient 

The idea is to add organic matter to the top of the soil and let the natural organisms do their work. Cardboard can be laid flat on the ground around plants to smother existing weeds and organic matter added over the cardboard (which rots down over time).  

Go Peat Free

Peatlands have taken thousands of years to create. They are not only huge carbon sinks, but also very delicate habitats that support an abundance of life. 

It can be hard to find a reliable peat-free alternative as the industry is struggling to keep up with demand. For good plant growth it may also be necessary to add additional organic fertilisers to improve plant growth.  

Making your own compost and leafmould and mixing your own recipe is one of the best ways to secure a reliable supply of peat free material.  

Gardening for children, and Big Kids 

Here are some great garden jobs and activities you can do with children, but also things you can try if you are new to gardening. Simple ways to grow flowers and food and other ways to brighten your garden without breaking the bank or your back! 

A few helpful tips: 

• Always be safe but be relaxed about mess. Soil will go everywhere 

• Seeds make a great present for children 

• Making labels is also a fun job 

• Old milk bottle cartons can be used as watering cans 

• Wooden forks/spoons make great gardening tools for little hands 

Easy seeds for vegetables and flowers (ages 2yrs – 100yrs) 

Seeding sowing is a lovely job as you get all the excitement of something so small producing so much life. It hardly seems possible. 

• There is a huge variety of plants and vegetables to choose from 

• Many are quite large for small fingers to poke into the soil or can be scattered from little hands 

• Choose reliable options, that way you don’t really need to worry about planting depth as they will germinate easily 

• You get quick results 

• Many vegetables are easy for smaller hands to harvest 

• Many things can be container grown so you don’t necessarily need a garden or a lot of space 

• They can have a job of watering the plants they grow 

Here are some ideas of what seeds you could grow: 

Vegetables and fruit: peas, runner beans, radishes, carrots, mixed leaf lettuce, beetroot, cress, tomatoes*, strawberries and blueberries.  

Flowers: Sunflowers, nasturtiums, love-in-a-mist, snap dragons, marigolds and sweet peas. 

Containers of Flowers (ages 3/4yrs – 100yrs) 

Give children their own pot or container to plant and grow annual bedding flowers. 

• You can often buy pack of mixed bedding to make the choice easy 

• Or take them along to a nursery to choose their own plants and colour scheme 

• If you have a few pots just three different bedding packs (6 plants each) can be mixed around to create a number of displays 

• They can be responsible for the watering, dead heading and looking after their display 

Just add Water (ages 2/3yrs – 100yrs) 

We all know the benefits for wildlife by adding water to a garden. It doesn’t have to be big either (especially if you are thinking about safety.) A pond the size of a washing up bowl or even a bird bath adds water and a new element to your garden. 

• Half barrels can be a great pond and have the depth for pond plants that need it 

• Others can be small like an old washing up bowl 

• Children can be involved in digging the hole 

• Choosing stone or shells to add to the base of the pond 

• Filling with water/keeping topped up (always the best bit) 

• Simple water plants are available to add interest: 

• Dwarf waterlily: Nymphaea ‘Pygmaea...’ (still need 20-30cm of depth) 

• Miniture rush: Typha minima 

• Water forget-me-not: Myosotis scorpiodes 

• Corkscrew rush: Juncus effusus 

Bulbs (ages 1.5yrs – 100yrs) 

Not just for autumn planting, there are a few opportunities to grow bulbs throughout the year.  

• Can be grow on pots or the wider garden 

• In pots can be moved around or ‘hidden’ in borders to create more flower power 

• Great for little hands to hold 

• Easy to do/explain: fill pot to correct planting depth, bulbs in, soil on top!  

• Doesn't need to be perfect 

• Always available in shops/nurseries at the correct time to plant 

• What to plant when:  

• Spring flowering – plant autumn 

• Hardy summer flowering – plant autumn 

• Tender summer flowering – plant early spring 

• Autumn flowering – plant late summer 

Own Patch (ages 3/4yrs – 100yrs) 

There is nothing like having your own patch of garden. An area you can grow what you like and tend to the plants; watering, weeding, picking. It brings a great joy (to any age) that is hard to replicate and hard to ever forget. 

My happy memories of my first garden and the first seeds I grew, are still as vivid 35 years later.  

Gardening is for life. Whichever road I journeyed through the years, I have always returned to gardening – it is where I find peace. 

Gardening has proven to be a source of health and wellbeing, but life can get busy, and often the garden is last on the list. When we had to slow down, so many people found joy and solace in their gardens, but a return to normal has seen a slide back to the hectic pace of life. 

As a gardener I am lucky to work outside and experience the elements, nature and joy of spring growth. I know first-hand how happy, relaxed and balanced it makes me.  Therefore my spring jobs focus is gardening and the health benefits, whether they be physical or mental. It is about being present in the moment and letting go of everyday life to see, smell, feel and hear the life all around you. 

I have also partnered with Sam and The Wellness Studio to bring you a ten-minute meditation 'Nourishing in Nature' to help rebalance and take some time for yourself. Sam, an avid gardener, is dedicated to the enrichment of mind and body through Pilates, meditation and breath work. The overarching philosophy is to take time to do something 'for yourself' to enhance your physical and emotional wellbeing.

Scroll down for spring garden jobs to promote health for body and mind...

Garden jobs for spring

This is about enjoying your garden and not seeing it as another job to do. I appreciate some have more time than others,  so I have split it into 'Complete immersion' and 'Short on time'. Even thirty minutes can add real benefits to your day. 

Before you start:

• Make yourself a cup of tea/coffee 

• Take off your watch

• Leave you phone in the house

• Take a note book and pencil

Complete immersion...

Gardening is as much about your sense and intuition as it is knowledge and skill. We need clear purpose but, if you have the time, it is lovely to immerse yourself in your outdoor surroundings and do what comes naturally. 

Take time to observe all that is happening in your garden. It might just be a few pots or it might be half an acre, but walk around and really see all that is happening. Jot down jobs you might like to do, but then lose yourself again in what you see in your garden. 

Take time to smell, not just flowers, but the 'green' of plants and earthiness of soil as you work. The smell of cut box hedging is one of the most powerful smells for me, and a strong memory trigger to happy times.

I strongly recommend wearing gloves to garden, but if you aren't working directly with the soil, use touch to feel different plant material. Feel the warm sun as you work or wind on your face. 

Sit on that bench or seat you never have time for, shut your eyes, and listen to all that is going on around you. The birds, the wind, the hum of life.

Short on time...

The many gardening jobs to do at this time of the year can be overwhelming. To reduce this feeling, take ten minutes to walk around your garden and list all the things you want to do. These clear objectives are a great place to focus your work.

Sit down with your cup of tea or coffee - preferably in a sunny spot - and give a rough time limit for each job. Pick the most urgent ones that can be done in this session. 

Focus on the tasks you want to complete with the knowledge that the other jobs are still on a list, but can be dealt with on another day.

With the clock change, we get lighter evenings: are there jobs you can do in the week, after a busy day? Even thirty minutes will help you to complete your list and also give you some headspace and time for yourself. 

As much as possible, 'be present' in your garden by observing the sights, smells and sounds. It is a lovely way to let your mind drift. 

Garden jobs for spring

Ground preparation

Working the ground is great strength work. It is important to have tools that are the right size for you and use them so you don't put pressure on your back and other areas of your body. It could be getting a seed bed ready, adding compost, mulching flower beds, digging, hoeing or raking. You find you use muscles you didn't know you had.

Tying in

Climbing and rambling roses benefit from being tied in at this time of year. By tying them in as vertical as possible it helps side shoots to break and give more flowers. Other climbers will also benefit from training to fill any gaps. 

Seed Sowing

Such a great job as you can really get lost in it. The thought of all that life being packed into such a tiny space is mind-blowing.

Seeds to sow at this time of year:

Vegetable seeds can be planted but many will benefit from being under cover like tomatoes, leeks, squash and courgette. But some hardier seeds can be sown outside, like beetroot, broad beans, spinach, carrots, lettuce and radish. 

Sweet peas can be planted where they are going to flower. That might be a big pot or in open ground. If you did sow some in autumn, they can be planted into their final positions and, if you find you have any gaps, just fill in with seed instead. 

A great way to add easy colour this year is by sowing annual flower seed direct to the soil. You might have a whole area you would like to fill, or just gaps in borders of perennial planting. The flowers seeds you can sow are known as Hardy Annuals (they will survive colder spells and will grow, flower and die on one year). Here are some steps to follow:

1. Prepare your ground to make a 'seed bed'. This means having a weed-free area where the soil has been forked/dug over to loosen it and then raked to create a fine 'tilth' (giving soil a fine crumb-like structure that seeds will find easy to put down roots and send up shoots).

2. Seed can be sown in 'sections' or 'drills'. If you have a large area that you want to sow different types of hardy annuals, use sand or a cane to mark out different sections. Sow one type of seed per section by 'broadcasting' (scattering seed from your hand) over the soil surface. 'Drills' are groves made in the soil and seed is sown into the drills. Drills can often make weeding a bit easier as you can see distinct 'rows' of your emerging seed.

Top tip: when sowing any seed, shake seed into your palm first and sow in pinches or broadcast, rather than shaking direct from the packet. It gives you more control of where seed ends up on the soil.

3. Different seed will have different planting depths (detailed on the packet) so you can achieve this by making your drill the right depth and covering, or if you broadcast, scatter soil/compost over the top of the seed to achieve the right depth. 

4. Gently water the area after sowing if the ground is not already moist enough

5. Aftercare:

   • Try to keep the area weed free until your flower seeds establish

   • Water in dry periods and once growing well every couple of weeks if necessary

   • If some patches seem crowded you can 'thin-out' (remove seed at regular intervals) to give others more growing room

   • Deadheading later in the season can prolong flowering

   • Often these types of flowers can be cut for flower displays in the house 

   • You can also use them as a source of seed later in the year. Collecting and storing ready for next spring!

6. Some types of Hardy Annuals to try:

   • Poached egg plant (Limnanthes douglasii)

   • Cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus)

   • Marigolds (Calendula officinalis)

   • Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena)

   • Godetia (Clarkia amoena)

   • Night-scented stocks (Mattholia incana) 

In early spring take time to appreciate things in their simplest form, like trees and shrubs show their underlying structure and textured bark. Early spring bulbs take advantage of the extending day light and with no overhead leaves to block it out, this is the time to shine. Winter flowering trees and shrubs are still giving a great display, albeit in scent rather than flower size. 

Here are a few examples and scroll down for early spring garden jobs...

Do not be too quick to wish winter away. I love the arrival of spring, but there are so many things to appreciate at this time of year too. Seed heads are still holding their own providing interest and many winter flowering plants are either offering a fantastic scent or blooming on bare wood to give a spectacular display. 

Here are a few examples and scroll down for late winter garden jobs...

Garden jobs for early spring

Practical jobs inside...

Grow some microgreens

Start growing some edibles without worrying about the weather outside. Many things can be grown as 'microgreens' which can be harvested and eaten as they sprout (a bit like cress) or when they are very small plants. It is a great way of adding flavour and colour to any dish.

1. Fill a seed tray with compost (this could even be an old plastic vegetable tray as long as you put some holes in the bottom)

2. Firm down the compost with something flat. You want it to be consolidated, not compacted.

3. Water the compost with a watering can that has a 'rose' on the end (so it sprinkles like rain).

4. Sprinkle the seeds evenly over the surface of the soil.

5. Cover with either more compost or vermiculite (to a depth the seed packet recommends).

6. Add a label so you know what they are and when you sowed them.

7. Put on a sunny windowsill and harvest with scissors when they start to sprout.

Here are some great microgreens to try growing:

Radish, lettuce, winter salad mix, amaranth, rainbow chard, beetroot, kale, coriander, basil, pea shoots (these need to be planted a little deeper, but you can fit 40 to a standard seed tray).

Re-pot house plants

We often forget that our house plants might need some TLC and once all the outdoor jobs get going there can be little time. Therefore why not start some re-potting, replacing old compost or taking cuttings now? 

Try some floristry

If you are cutting back things in the garden (whether it be old seeds heads in a tidy up or dogwood stems for next years winter colour), why not try a bit of floristry by arranging your offcuts? You don't have to overthink it, just do what you think looks good. It is a lovely way of bringing outside inside without costing a thing!

Try some hardwood cuttings

Again if you are cutting back any deciduous shrubs outside, you can try using offcuts to do some hardwood cuttings. These are simply dormant stems from plants (e.g. dogwoods) that can be inserted into a pot of compost and left outside to take root. You will know you have been successful in late spring early summer when they start to produce leaves. Make sure you cut just below a bud (where the old leaves would have been on the stem) and insert them (the right way up) about one third into the new compost. 

Practical jobs outside...

Make a spring pot display

I always like to have pots of spring bulbs in a display where they can be fully appreciated. Mornings and evenings are still dark so I put them where they will be seen as you enter or leave the house. Or from a window you regularly look out from in the day light. Do not worry if you did not plant any last autumn. Many nurseries or garden centres will sell potted bulbs and even a few miniature daffodils won't break the bank. 

Finish rose pruning

February is traditionally the month to do rose pruning and training, but don't worry if you are still due to do it (the weather is still cold!). Pruning a rose depends on what type you have. But to keep it simple here are some easy tips to follow:

1. Remove any dead, damaged or diseased wood at the base, or into decent material

2. Remove any weak or very thin stems at the base

3. Open up the plant so there isn't crowding in the middle (good airflow means healthier plants)

4. Cut to an outward facing bud, so any new growth grows away from the plant

5. You can be quite hard on roses and they always thank you for it!

Cut back for stem colour

If you grow Cornus (dogwood) and Salix (willow) for winter stem colour, cut down to a couple of buds off the base of the plant (or to the point you want the new growth to start). This encourages lots of new shoots which are the ones that have the most vivid colour come autumn/winter 2023.

Give lawns a trim

Providing it is dry enough and there is new growth in your lawn, maybe run the mower over on a high cut. This will give it a good tidy and also stimulate new growth at the base. Remember that if we have any frosts it is a good idea to keep off the grass as much as possible.

Water in dry periods

This is something really simple that is easy to forget on cold days. Depending on where you live in the country, we have had quite a dry spell for the past month or so. Therefore any pots or new 2022 autumn/winter plantings might need your attention. 

Garden jobs for late winter

Planning jobs...

Plan your garden visits

Whether it is for a new border, section of your garden or even your pot displays; great way to get new plant ideas and design inspiration is to visit other gardens and see what they do. If you have a wish list of gardens you would love to visit, try to pick six you must see this year. This way you will see gardens at their best and fit your visits into the rest of your 2022 plans.

Plan what seeds you need

About this time of year lots of lovely seed catalogues drop through our letter boxes or we get emails from the seed suppliers. Start to plan your seed buying and sowing, vegetable bed rotation, new areas you want to work on and ideas for the coming year.

Plan your garden jobs

If you have kept any kind of garden journal from last year, take a look at what you felt worked in the garden and what didn't. If you have a wish list for your garden, have another read and see if there is anything you can implement this year. 

Practical jobs...

Do a winter tidy up

Before early bulbs and new shoots start pushing through, tidy up things for springs arrival. Herbaceous stems and seeds heads you have left for winter interest and wildlife can be cut back and composted as new growth starts to come through. Cleaning/tidying your greenhouse, shed, pots, tools etc are all 'indoor' jobs that you will have no time for once we get some warmer weather.

Prune Wisteria

I always enjoy pruning Wisteria as you know all those dormant buds will soon be fattening up and waiting to burst into flower in May. 

Very simple rules to follow: February is the second month of the year so you prune back all of last years growth to two buds (unless you are using new growth to create a framework; in which case you can tie in to strong wires). 

There is a cluster of buds at the base of each shoot so you can include this in your 'two buds' or not (it is up to you). The shoots you cut back will have been shortened to six buds in your summer pruning (done in June after flowering). Energy the plant produces is put into flowering rather than vigorous vegetative growth.

Prune late-flowering clematis

One of the easiest of the three groups of clematis to prune, you simply need to cut all last years growth to the lowest pair of buds. This is done with late-flowering (Group Three) clematis so that you avoid a tangled mass of stems that only have flowers high up. From this pruning you will get lots of vigorous new stems and plenty of flowers later in the year.

NEXT PAGE: Garden Classes

My Gökotta Gardening page has jobs that are perfect for this time of year, both practical and planning. It also includes things that catch my eye in the wider countryside. Nature often does it better then we can and is a great source of inspiration. 

As a gardener, I have come to understand being outside is a key to happiness. Humans were 'born of the land' and the more time we spend away from it, the more we become detached from it, the less we understand it - and the less we understand our wellbeing. 

Why not give yourself some time and space to breathe in the green...