Flowers

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Fruit and veg

  • Place straw around the base of parsnips to prevent the soil freezing, which can make harvesting difficult
  • Plant blackberries, such as thornless 'Loch Ness', for easy pickings of large, sweet, juicy fruits
  • Winter prune large fruit trees, such as apples and pears, to control their shape and size, and to increase their productivity
  • Plant fruit trees trained as cordons, fans or espaliers to make good use of limited space
  • Start to plan next year's crops and order seeds
  • Tidy up raspberry and blackberry beds – weed and mulch with compost, then tie new stems to support wires
  • Lift and divide large clumps of rhubarb, replanting the outer sections into soil enriched with well-rotted manure
  • Keep kale, winter cabbages and other brassicas covered with netting to protect them from hungry pigeons
  • Finish clearing old crops and debris from the veg plot, but only compost healthy material
  • Remove yellowed leaves on brassicas, so fungal diseases such as grey mould and downy mildew don't take hold
  • Make sure Brussels sprouts don't topple over in strong winds - tie to a cane for support and earth up the stems
  • Prune grapevines, cutting back side-branches to one or two buds from the main stem

Greenhouse

  • Pot up a clump of rhubarb and place under a large bin to force an early crop of sweet stems
  • Pick faded leaves and dead flowers regularly from plants overwintering in the greenhouse, such as pelargoniums
  • Pinch out the tips of autumn-sown sweet peas to encourage bushier growth
  • Deadhead indoor azaleas, water regularly and provide cool conditions, away from radiators, to prolong flowering
  • Monitor greenhouse temperatures with a max-min thermometer to ensure heaters are working efficiently
  • Bring hyacinths growing in the greenhouse into your home to flower, placing in a cool, bright spot
  • Water plants sparingly to keep the greenhouse as dry as possible, which should reduce outbreaks of disease
  • Prune greenhouse grapevines while dormant
  • Water florists' cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum) from below, and deadhead regularly to encourage more blooms
  • Check overwintering plants in the greenhouse for red spider mite and other pests, and treat if necessary
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House plants

Amaryllis 'Carmen'
Amaryllis 'Carmen'

Garden maintenance

  • Top up bird baths with fresh water every day during frosty weather 
  • Bring all watering equipment indoors, including hoses and sprinklers, so they don't freeze and split
  • Scoop fallen leaves and debris from ponds, leave on the side so pond life can escape, then add to the compost bin
  • Stand your Christmas tree in a bucket of water in a sheltered spot outdoors until it's time to bring it indoors
  • Clear out your shed, and organise and clean your tools
  • Check tree ties and stakes are firm enough to stand up to winter storms
  • Prune blackcurrants once dormant, removing about a quarter of the old stems
  • Order well-rotted manure or mushroom compost to dig in over winter or spread over bare soil as mulch for worms to take down
  • Order summer-flowering bulbs such as lilies and gladioli
from £19.99 Supplied as 14cm potted plants

Perfect for both sunlit spots and partial shade, this perennial thrives anywhere in the garden but particularly shines in the dappled shade of trees and shrubs. Suitable for containers and borders, it has a compact habit with attractive palm-shaped leaves which remain green throughout the year. The long-lasting spring blooms are also an essential source of nectar for early-emerging bees.

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from £9.99 Supplied as plug plants

This mix of five super-bright Thunbergia alata Sunny Susy plants will provide months of vibrant colour through summer and into autumn. Easy to grow, thunbergia keeps producing flowers, even if summer weather is not especially hot, with no need for deadheading.

Offer Ends:
£12.95 *Worth £4.95

These expertly grown vegetable plants are perfect for growing on in your garden, allotment or greenhouse. They will quickly establish after transplanting and develop into mature plants, giving you the satisfaction of homegrown vegetables.

Use code: GWCHIQU124

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