The Garden Minute ⏰: Monday 4 December 2023
☀️Good morning Gardeners. Here is today's gardening round up :)
How to protect your garden hose this winter – experts say this is what you need to do to avoid serious damage. It’s not just the living things in your garden (i.e. your plants and wildlife) that need to be taken care of during winter. Ideal Home.
Unexploded bomb detonated after spending decades as couple's garden ornament. Jeffrey Edwards said the bomb apparently made its original journey to the house on a "very bumpy ride" by horse and cart more than 100 years ago - and had since been played with by children, painted, and tapped with a garden trowel. Sky News.
When it comes to compost, how damp is "damp"? Rachel the Gardener Blog.
Gardening jobs in December. What do you need to do in the garden this month? Discover the essential list of gardening jobs in December. The English Garden.
Pineapple Sage – the botanical that creates harmony and spiritual peace. Pineapple sage (Salvia elegans) is a herbaceous, perennial plant in the mint family Lamiaceae and the genus Salvia, which has 900 members with a long history as culinary, medicinal, and spiritual plants. John O’Groat Journal.
Late-flowering plants raise spirits – and concerns. Early winter colour does much to warm the heart, but it can also create long-term doubt. The Guardian.
A magnolia for every garden. Small or large, discreet or flamboyant, the mere thought of this spring-flowering marvel will help ease winter gloom. Financial Times. Subscription Required.
Gayton gardener gives advice on growing Jerusalem artichokes and cleaning your tools. Lynn News.
Poem: The Longest Garden. By Vic Keegan. On London.
The Longest Garden + Let’s praise London’s secret fact The jungle by the railway track A garden unfolding as your carriage moves The burden of the day it subtly soothes Blackberries unpicked and elderflowers That calm the weight of passing hours Ash, oak and fledgling trees Catch the eye with flashing ease Convolvulus, the brute, is also there All plants on its rampage soon to ensnare And what’s that whizzing past my eyes Could it be Berberis with butterflies While Rose bay willow drooping in the rain Flutters in the wind of our speeding train We know this land should have better uses (Build more houses. No excuses) But until then while politicians harden Just inhale the bliss of London’s lost garden.
These are the world's most BEAUTIFUL greenhouses. Combining stunning architecture with a kaleidoscopic array of plants, greenhouses have been popular since Victorian times. And there’s a wealth of them to be found all over the world. From the towering palms and Brutalist architecture of London’s Barbican Conservatory, to the cloud-like mists and undulating glass rooftop of Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay. MSN.
Retired teacher's hobby lands her RHS artist-in-residence role. A retired teacher who took up botanical illustration as a hobby has become an artist-in-residence for the UK's leading garden charity after her work "bowled over" a judging panel. BBC.
In local news:
Borde Hill Christmas wreath making workshops are a festive delight
Co-op supports Kingston community garden helping people explore anxiety through nature
Green thumb at thirteen: Pyrford schoolgirl helps to keep West Byfleet blooming.
Top 10 things to do at Wakehurst this winter. Enjoy the perfect wintery day out at ‘Kews’ wild botanic garden in Sussex. Kew Gardens.
How to keep your garden warm and cosy this winter. Jazz up your outdoor space this winter with crackling fire pits, patio heaters and chimineas — even when the sun is nowhere to be seen. The temperatures may have dipped, but that doesn't mean you have to bundle up and hide from the cold until next spring. House Beautiful.
South Downs National Park to plant thousands of trees across Sussex. The Argus.
Christmas tree prices are rising in the UK – here’s how to get the best deals. While about two-thirds of the population will opt for an artificial tree, millions of “real” ones will be sold this month. However, consumers will face steeper prices as growers and retailers pass on higher costs. The Guardian.
Sowing & Growing In December. Ivans Gardening Allotment UK. YouTube.
How to make your own winter garden in just a bay window — no conservatory or greenhouse required. Turn a bay window into a winter garden to help houseplants survive and help you pretend it’s still summer. The Standard.
Gordon the gardener is planning ahead for colour in Spring as winter starts to bite. Huddersfield Hub.
The Newt, Somerset: An 18th-century walled garden with the finest display of trained apples. Country Life.
And if gardening is not enough to de-stress you then this should help…Feeling Stressed? Cuddle A Cow, Says UK Dairy Farm. Barron’s.
⏰ Thank you for reading my gardening round up :) Do you have a local gardening story you would like to share? Leave a comment and I will get back to you right away.
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