Garden Centre

Sunday, February 10, 2008

All Seasons Gardening - what happened to winter?

It seems that we are losing something – winter. Instead we have milder weather extending from autumn into spring, experts claim. The curator of Kew Gardens in London said winter had disappeared altogether, with some trees flowering months earlier than usual, while Edinburgh Botanic Gardens reported winter conditions lasting just a week. Dr Nigel Taylor of Kew, said the climate that was "behaving very strangely" English hawthorn had already started growing its leaves, while the common ash was in flower. A forecaster at the Met Office said the average temperature in December and January had been about one degree higher than the average for 1971-2000 and January in eastern Scotland had been the wettest on record.

Regardless of weather, this is the time of year to:

Pick up debris like fallen leaves that will start to weigh down pond netting as they soak up dew and rain. If you wish, you can always clear away any sludge that you see. We actually only clean our pond every three years now, as it seems to be very healthy and self-sustaining, but this is the time of year when any pond owner with a liner should check for leaks.
Wash cobbles and paths and clean up any other ornaments near the pond, it’s a horrible chore at this time of year but important to do it before frogs, toads and newts (should you be lucky enough to have them) begin breeding. Mine are actually starting to breed right now so this is a task for Tuesday at the lastest!
And it’s time to clean, repair and restore garden furniture - durable timber, such as teak and cedar may need an oil treatment if they were oil treated when you purchased them, other wooden furniture may need a recoating with clear varnish or woodstain, metal furniture needs a good scrub and if its painted may need a touch-up with enamel paint, and plastic furniture can be washed with a soft brush and hot soapy water.

Labels: february garden tasks, preparing garden for spring, winter garden tasks

The All Seasons Gardener at 4:30 AM

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