£General ~ Check garden structures for gale damage. Hang fat in roses and shrubs to attract birds to eat pests. Insulate outdoor containers to prevent frost damage. Send garden equipment for servicing. Order flower seeds. £Greenhouse ~ Keep the greenhouse as dry as possible. Humidity encourages disease. If you have a heated propagator you can start off various seeds such as tomatoes and pelargoniums. They will need constant warmth, best delay if there's any doubt about keeping them adequately warm. £Pond ~ Melt ice with a kettle of boiling water. £Lawn ~ Lay turves for a new lawn if the weather is mild. Keep off the lawn in frosty weather. £Plants ~ Plant dormant shrubs and roses. Move deciduous trees and shrubs. Check wall trained plants for lack of water. Use a winter wash to clear trees of pest eggs. Clear conifers of heavy snow in case it damages them. £General ~ Treat wooden garden furniture and fences with preservative. £Greenhouse ~ Open vents on mild days, but close in afternoon. Make first plantings of tender perennials. Divide greenhouse ferns. Sow late flowering sweet peas. Start off several half hardy annuals in warmth. Start dahlias, pelargoniums, fuchsias and chrysanthemums into growth. If the plants are already producing shoots, you can take cuttings. Increase watering a little but take care not to over do it. £Pond ~ Melt ice with a kettle of boiling water. £Lawn ~ Complete laying turf. Prepare the ground for seed sown lawns. Repair lawn edges. £Plants ~ Plant deciduous trees, shrubs and hedges. Trim herbaceous plants. Fork over herbaceous borders. Divide herbaceous perennials. Dislodge any snow on conifers and dense shrubs to prevent damage. Tidy debris off rock gardens and top up gravel where needed. Mulch beds. Apply top dressing of hoof and horn or bonemeal. £General ~ Good time to erect framework for climbing plants. £Greenhouse ~ Clean glass. Increase ventilation. Take cuttings of Michaelmas daisy, chrysanthemum and dahlias. Continue making sowings of half-hardy annuals. Pot up or prick out sowings made earlier. £Pond ~ Divide and replant aquatic plants. Weed the bog garden and add fertiliser. Begin to feed fish as you see them moving. Remove the pond heater and replace pumps and pond lights. Clean the pond filter. Clean the netting of debris and remove. £Lawn ~ Gently rake, lightly mow, edge, treat bare patches and perennial weeds. £Plants ~ Apply blood fish and bone around base of shrubs and trees. Mulch beds. Divide large clumps of perennials. Firm soil around wind-rocked trees, check tree-ties. In mild weather remove frost protection from plants which are starting to grow. Plant garden bulbs and corms. Layer heathers. Sow hardy annuals outdoors including, alyssum, anchusa, calendula, larkspur and nigella. Sow sweet peas outdoors. Last chance to buy bare rooted trees and shrubs. £General ~ Good time to check general safety in garden, re-lay uneven paths, fill cracks with cement. Provide adequate support for plants. Check trelliswork. £Greenhouse ~ Increase ventilation. Check for infestations of pests. Plant up some hanging baskets and keep in greenhouse for a good start. Prick out seedlings and pot up plants. Apply shading. Start hardening off first batch of hardy annuals. £Pond ~ Feed fish to improve disease resistance but don't leave scraps of food in the water to pollute it. Remove decaying plant matter and give a partial water change. If your tap water is heavily chlorinated, get a dechlorinator from your supplier. Raise baskets, divide rampant plants. Clean filter. £Lawn ~ Fork bare patches. Re-seed, rake, and water in. £Plants ~ Sow chervil and basil in pots on kitchen windowsill. Feed spring flowering bulbs with a general granular fertilizer. Feed and mulch borders and hedges now with blood fish and bone or rose feed. Plant container grown stock. Lift and divide perennials. Water dahlia tubers for a good start for taking cuttings. Plant gladioli 5" deep in well manured soil. Plant out lavender cuttings now for a hedge. Don't forget to keep containers watered. £General ~ Rake paths fortnightly to weed and tidy. £Greenhouse ~ Water regularly and ventilate overnight. Apply shading. Pot up rooted cuttings. Keep checking for pests. £Pond ~ Introduce new fish, buy water plants. When feeding plants around edge take care not to spill fertilizer into water as it will encourage algae. Thin out oxygenators. £Lawn ~ Feed lawn. Good time to treat weeds. £Plants ~ Use codling moth traps to protect apple trees. Lift primulas and polyanthus. Stake all tall herbaceous plants. Cut out any all green shoots of variegated plants. Don't forget to continue watering copiously all new roses, trees, and herbaceous perennials planted during the last 6 months. £General ~ Don't forget the birds at this time of the year, if you give them water to drink and bathe in they will reward you by eating all manner of garden pests. £Greenhouse ~ Leave vents and door open all day. Be vigilant against whitefly. Damp down paths regularly to increase the humidity. £Pond ~ Plant water lilies, oxygenating plants, and other aquatics. Feed fish. To stop 'green water' wrap a bunch of barley in an old sack and place in water; organic straw only please. £Lawn ~ Give lawn combined weed and feed. Spike compacted areas. Neaten edges. £Plants ~ Bed out all border plants. Sow biennials and perennials in a seedbed. Tie in climbers as they grow. Layer clematis. Continue feeding plants. Do cuttings now. Trim evergreen hedges. Divide crowded flag irises. Feed and water container plants. Lift spring bulbs. Preserve herbs by freezing. £General ~ Consider installing garden lighting, solar lights are economical. £Greenhouse ~ The main job now it to keep temperatures down by freely ventilating and to damp down regularly to stop drying out. Sow herbs like basil and parsley for winter use. £Pond ~ Top up pond. Remove algae. Feed fish. Keep a watch out for fry if the fishes have spawned. Separate the young fish from their parents to avoid being eaten. Use waterfall and fountain regularly to encourage aeration. £Lawn ~ The lawn will probably need mowing twice a week now. You can leave clippings on the lawn to act as a mulch. £Plants ~ Take cuttings of ornamental shrubs. Dead head regularly. If you need to water, remember a thorough watering is the best solution. Little and often actually does more harm than good as it weakens the plants. Disbud chrysanthemums an dahlias for larger specimen blooms. Thin flowers in seedbeds. £General ~ As the water butts become empty, this is a good time for a good general clean. £Greenhouse ~ Clean up dead flowers and leaves to prevent grey mould which is a serious problem this month. Deter red spider mite by regular watering and damping down. £Pond ~ Lift and divide large clumps of aquatics. Lift baskets to cut back side shoots or divide. When the water becomes muddy, switch on fountain or waterfall to filter out the silt. Use a stick to twirl up blanket weed. £Lawn ~ If you have a flower meadow this is a good time for a cut. £Plants ~ Take semi-ripe cuttings. Plant herbaceous perennials. Clip lavender hedges and dry the flowers for pot-pourri. Water and feed hanging baskets frequently. Buy winter aconites, soak dry corms for 2 days. Many hardy annuals can be sown late in August for a more flowerful display next year. £General ~ This is a good time for drawing up plans for creating new beds. £Greenhouse ~ Remove shading. Continue ventilation, check extremes of temperature. Bring pot grown chrysanthemums into the greenhouse to protect from frost. £Pond ~ Don't feed fish if weather turns cold. Construct new pools. £Lawn ~ Raise the cutting height half an inch on your mower but continue to mow regularly. Aerate and feed with a low nitrogen fertilizer. Scarify lawn. Spike compacted areas of lawn. Sow new lawns on well-prepared soil. Wash trays and pots for winter storage. £Plants ~ Inspect ornamentals for mildew, particularly prevalent in cool weather. Gather ripe seed and store in cool dry conditions. Plant
