Innehållsförteckning för December 2023 från BBC Gardeners' World

Variegated ivy Go for a walk – urban, suburban or rural – at this time of year and you’ll come across ivies dripping with clusters of black berries. The thrushes, blackbirds, and blackcaps that depend on them as winter tightens its grip will also surely be in evidence. In the gardens you pass along the way, you’ll see variegated foliage brightening the side of an old shed, snaking its way up a brick wall or transforming a tree trunk. But what you’ll rarely see is a variegated ivy covered in berries. Variegated ivies are less vigorous than plain green-leaved ivies and so rarely manage the transition from the familiar juvenile growth to the larger-leaved mature growth that produces flowers and berries in the hedgerow. But their evergreen foliage features a…

HOT TOPIC Peace on earth After reading Tales from Titchmarsh (October) about enjoying the sounds of nature, I was reminded of a game I used to play with my youngest daughter before she became a teenager. When walking our dog in our local woodland, to have a break from her incessant (but delightful) chatter, I would say: “Let’s see how many sounds we can hear in the next two minutes.” It was amazing. After walking in silence we reported birds singing, ducks on the canal, the crunching of our boots on the path, our dog’s collar clinking, the wind/rain, faraway traffic, the odd aeroplane, cyclists, etc. It’s a very good and enjoyable way of getting children, and adults, to tune in to the “sounds of the earth” and the world…

Historic gardens face modernisation dilema The former home of Victorian plantswoman Gertrude Jekyll – Munstead Wood in Surrey – has been saved for the nation following the death of its previous owner, Marjorie Clark. But the challenge of restoring and opening this historic private garden to the public, without losing its charm, is demanding a radical rethink of how we visit gardens. “We’re not going to do a full-on restoration,” says Andy Jasper, the National Trust’s Director of Gardens, who oversaw the purchase with help from government coffers. “The one fear of those involved in getting the property to us was that the place would become too commercial – but we’re determined to make sure it’s as accessible as it can be, without overcrowding.” The Trust won’t be changing the…

Christmas cracker This is a classic winter container combination: the skimmia gives a bit of evergreen structure while the cyclamen provides the flash of Santa red for a welcome bit of cheery zing. Add a variegated carex for an extra frisson! We used ❶ Skimmia japonica Thereza x 1 ❷ Mini cyclamen x 1 ❸ Carex oshimensis ‘Evergold’ x 1 ❹ Hedera ‘Ann Ala’ x 1 ❺ Lime-green pot approx. 30cm Pure and simple This chic display will bring a touch of elegance to a sheltered porch. The hellebore is a delight at this time of year and can be moved to a semi shaded spot in the garden when the display is over. A white Jerusalem cherry with immature berries creates a central focal point. The cushion bush softens…

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Do you fling an orchid into your basket at the supermarket checkout? Or spy a fern at the house plant shop and go weak at the knees because it’s been on your wishlist for months? House plants are so beautiful and appealing that the occasional impulse buy is inevitable, but your success rate will be roughly equivalent to how much thought you put into your choices. The key is getting to know what the conditions are like in your home, and finding the plants that can thrive there, from among the thousands of species from all over the world that can grow indoors. • Jane Perrone is a garden writer and host of house plant podcast On The Ledge. She is also the author of Legends of the Leaf and…

TOP TIP Position any shrubs with scented winter flowers near to a path or entrance, where the fragrance can be enjoyed before spring arrives. Christmas box (sarcococca) is a good candidate for a spot like this, as are wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox) and scented witch hazels. Plant final tulips Get any remaining unplanted tulip bulbs into the ground now so that they have enough time to root out and flower along with the rest. Tulips planted later often flower on shorter stems but they still give a colourful display. Plant them pointed end-up in holes about 12cm deep. Fill in the planting hole and sprinkle some grit over the area to remind you where they are in the border. VISIT GardenersWorld.com/bulb for more on raising plants from bulbs Mulch agapanthus against…

Make natural seasonal decorations for free by gathering your own greenery from the garden. Cut some showstopping berries and evergreen foliage to use in arrangements, door wreaths and for swags on the banister. Evergreen shoots of myrtle with black berries and the reddened foliage of mahonia give lots of impact. Male skimmia flowers add an element of luxury and the bright, flame-coloured deciduous stems of dogwood are useful, too. If you have it, mistletoe is the most seasonal of all. You may need to cut any berried stems before they get stripped by the birds. Prepare cut stems by putting them straight into a bucket of water at room temperature for a couple of hours then cut them all again and crush the ends before giving them another soak in…

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Apple partners For abundant fruiting, apple trees nearly always need to grow with a pollination partner. Although you may already have a suitable tree in your garden, if planting a new one, the safest option is to plant two different but compatible varieties at the same time. To find out which ones are suitable, check to see which pollination group your apple falls into and partner it with a different variety from the same or a neighbouring pollination group. The groups are based on the flowering times of apples. Next to variety details on a catalogue or website, look for ‘flowering/pollination group’ then a number (1-7). Without a suitable partner, flowering happens as usual (so you will see the pretty blossom), but pollen is not successfully transferred from anther to…

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 I thoroughly enjoyed reading Full Monty and our Over the Fence debate this month. They really got me thinking about what the month of December, and all the festive celebrations, mean to me – particularly in relation to my garden. Like Monty, I don’t do much gardening in December but, like Stephanie Hafferty, I do like to escape into the garden for a little while on Christmas Day if I can get away with it. But that’s the thing – we all have our traditions and habits, the way we like to do things, and I feel this becomes particularly evident when Christmas comes into play. Our Christmas front door always has a wreath cobbled together with things from the garden. It’s usually a bit on the rustic (wonky) side, but…

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Our gardens are home to one of the most biodiverse and mysterious ecosystems on the planet. Soil is the foundation of life on Earth, yet most of us consider it to be just sand, silt, clay and organic matter. We know that when our soil is healthy, our gardens thrive. But our attempts to create good soil can prove frustrating – often because few of us understand what healthy soil actually is. However, scientific knowledge has come on in leaps and bounds, so it’s time for us gardeners to catch up. And in doing so, we’ll unearth a world more fascinating and valuable than we could ever imagine. Becky Searle is a writer, gardener and blogger who is passionate about soil health, organic gardening and ecology. sowmuchmore.co.uk Almost all life…

Provide some long-lived interest to complement the brighter stems and flowers of other plants by adding a few evergreen ferns to winter pots. Polystichum, blechnum, asplenium and dryopteris are all available as evergreen species in garden centres around now. Soak the plants first, then put them in among the other plants. Firm the compost gently and add more peat-free potting compost if necessary to bring the level up to just below the rim of the pot. Finish off by watering it all well to settle the disturbed roots of other plants back in. Compost twigs Collect and chop up twigs or branches that have snapped and fallen from trees and shrubs during the autumn months. Cut them into 4-5cm pieces so they are small enough to go in at the…

Prune overgrown apple trees now that they are dormant. If major reduction is needed, do it in stages over two or three years to avoid the tree trying to compensate by putting on a mass of twiggy regrowth next season. If the canopy spread needs to be headed back it still adds up to a large percentage of the overall wood, so judge how much to prune and keep it to under a third. Assemble secateurs, long-handled pruners and saws. A pruning saw will do most jobs, but a bow saw may be needed for the largest cuts. Before pruning, make a plan of which main branches to keep and which to remove. Aim to end up with a balanced framework of well-spaced branches. Horizontal branches are the most productive…

Sow onions Start onions from seed now – it’s cheaper than using sets (small bulbs) and there’s a wider choice of varieties, but you’ll need space to keep them indoors until spring. Sowing is also a good option if your soil is prone to waterlogging in winter, which would rot onion sets planted in the ground. Fill a seed tray with peat-free seed compost and tamp down to make a firm surface. Sow the seeds thinly and cover with perlite or vermiculite. Water from below by standing the tray in water and remove it once the compost is fully damp. Keep on a warm, sunny windowsill or in a heated propagator at 15°C. Cover veg beds with compost Warm yourself up on a cold day by spreading homemade compost on…

December is a month of light and darkness. Traditionally, it is a time for festivals of light and celebrations that involve singing, dancing and fire to combat the dark, short days. These festivals coincide with the winter solstice toward the end of the month, the shortest day of the year. For me, it’s a day that always brings hope. From now on we start to emerge from the dark and head towards spring. This is relevant to plants, many of which are governed by a day-length response, as well as temperature. Even these small increases in light begin to stir a new hormonal phase of growth and ready our plants for spring. Right now, just leading up to that shift, is the most dormant phase of the year. That makes…

Anne Swithinbank A keen fruit, vegetable and house-plant grower, Anne was formerly the glasshouse supervisor at RHS Garden Wisley. Ashley Edwards As a head gardener with charity Horatio’s Garden, Ashley enjoys sharing his passion for plants. Pippa Greenwood Pippa is one of the foremost experts on pests and diseases. She gardens using organic methods. Q What can I plant as a ‘lawn’ in our gravel garden? Steph Jarrett, by email A ASHLEY SAYS It’s great to think of lawn alternatives, as turf is often very high maintenance, and if mown regularly, provides little attraction to pollinators and other beneficial insects. I would recommend trying chamomile. It has attractive, blue-grey foliage and daisy-like flowers which pollinators adore. The best part of this plant is the scent. It’s reminiscent of apples and…

The relationship with my garden in December cools with the weather to one of mutual mistrust and even disdain. Often only loyalty to memories of seasons past and hope in what is to come keep the relationship ticking over. If any of the shards of autumn still cling at its outset, they are all discarded by the end. The days are absurdly short with the sun sinking down exactly in line with the wooden greenhouse on 21 December so that – if it is not too cloudy – it lights up with an orange flare as though with chilly flames. Areas that are sun-filled from April to October get no light at all and if I do not set out to take the dogs for their walk by 3.30pm, I…

Stephanie Hafferty is an organic gardener, writer and chef with more than 30 years’ practical experience Andrew O’Brien is an online gardening coach, author and host of the Gardens, Weeds & Words podcast It’s lovely spending time indoors with family, but sneaking out, while everyone is watching a movie or feeling argumentative after eating too much chocolate, brings joy. Perhaps we’re not really supposed to admit this, but it is nice to get away from everyone for a little while, to clear the head, re-energise and – hopefully – return to all of the washing-up done. I love to spend some time in the garden at Christmas. There’s a special stillness, without the usual day-to-day noise and distraction of traffic, which amplifies the sounds of nature: birdsong is clearer, the…

Sustainable winter display Forage for winter decorations and connect with nature by adding your finds to a potted evergreen ball, creating a display that lasts long after the festivities. The glossy, leathery texture of the magnolia leaves and the tonal greens of conifers, complemented by the festive colours of American wintergreen berries, create a beautiful contrast to the season’s stark hues. Magnolia leaves are perfect for long-lasting decor, as they dry so well. The hellebores add a hint of upcoming colour and thrive in part shade. American wintergreen tolerates some shade and prefers ericaceous compost, so use this for your container. The ilex ball will serve as a central structure for other arrangements throughout the year, so be sure to feed it in the spring. TOP TIPS WE USED ➊…

SAVE £20 Add winter romance to your festive displays with these illuminated hyacinth baskets. Perfect for decorating your home or as a gift for friends and family, the delicate blooms of the hyacinths will fill a room with their wonderful fragrance. Supplied with hyacinth bulbs, these fully lined, hand-woven rustic baskets come with fairy lights and decorative moss to complete the look. Each basket contains three hyacinths in bud, ready to unfurl over several weeks. Place in a cool, bright spot indoors. After flowering you can plant the bulbs outdoors to flower again next year. Delivered in December, in time for Christmas. Planters measure 13cm x 15cm. ◼ Hyacinth ‘Jan Bos’ illuminated basket x 1 £20 (ROGW-45HJ1). H x S 25cm x 15cm ◼ H. Blue Pearl illuminated basket x 1 £20 (ROGW-45HB1) H x S…

Non-gardeners often assume that winter is a quiet time, but for the avid veg grower there is plenty to do. That said, winter isn’t as busy as the rest of the year, because there is less need to weed, sow and water. I use this time to dream about the next year and enjoy researching new cultivars to grow on the plot for different flavours and less hassle. Recently, I discovered an unexpected winter crop – a funny-looking brown fungus growing on the dead stems of an old elder tree. It’s called jelly ear fungus (Auricularia auricula judae) and really does look as the name suggests, but don’t let the appearance put you off! They’re used a lot in Asian meals, and can be foraged, cleaned, chopped then cooked. As…

Pull dead parts off houseleeks Pick out the old rosettes of sempervivums that have died off after flowering. They will have blackened and feel papery so are easily picked off. The remaining healthy rosettes will send out more offsets into the gaps next season before they flower, so there is always a supply of new plants each year to give some winter interest. Dress the gaps with more grit to tidy up the pot. VISIT GardenersWorld. com/december for jobs to do this month Add heucheras to the border for some winter foliage interest. Colours vary from purple to green, yellow and bronze tones. They are semi-evergreen so will lose their vibrancy towards the end of the winter but it’s worth planting them for their foliage among the earliest bulbs such…

Place forced bulbs on show As they start the process of budding up, place forced bulbs into their final position to enjoy the festive display and make maximum advantage of scented flowers. A table in a well-lit dining area is a good choice. Choose a cool, bright spot and avoid placing them near radiators, woodburners or fires because the flowers are likely to go over quickly in very warm rooms with dry air. Have thin green canes and clips ready for supporting any stems that start to flop over as the flowers develop. Place poinsettias in the perfect spot to ensure that they put on a vibrant display for the whole festive season and beyond. Keep your poinsettia in bright light but away from strong sunlight and draughts. If placing…

With the nights long and the days short right now it might feel like the propagation season has long since passed – but that’s not the case for hardwood cuttings. Species such as cornus, buddleia and sambucus can be taken as cuttings from late autumn until late winter. They’re super-easy and arguably have the highest success rate of any type of propagation. My advice here focuses on standard hardwood cuttings, which are usually 30-40cm, long. But a few plants such as willow and poplar can be taken using the same method. Cuttings from these two trees can be up to two metres long and will root over winter to grow away in spring. Step by step guide Starting new shrubs from long, woody stems is easy and requires no specialised…

What better way to frame your porch or doorway this festive season than with a pair of elegant holly trees? With a slight blush tinge to the classic holly leaves and rich red berries, you’ll enjoy year-round interest thanks to their evergreen nature. These established 4-year-old trees are slow growing and easy to manage – just one trim a year will keep that perfect lollipop standard tree form. Height x Spread 100cm x 50cm PLUS receive a FREE red amaryllis bulb WORTH £9.99 with all orders. ■ Two established holly trees with decorative planters £49.98 SAVE £40 (510186) PLUS FREE red amaryllis bulb WORTH £9.99 SAVE £40 WONDEFUL GIFT IDEAS Narcissi & muscari trough planter Supplied as a metal planter including 15 bulbs and peat-free compost. Grows to 20cm. ■ 1…