In Spring I wrote about a reluctant gardener just starting out and you can read about that here. Well now it’s soon going to get dark and cold and I would imagine some will be even more reluctant so here are 6 tips for you to think about doing before you come inside and close the door till next year.
What if you don’t really want to be out there between now and March and you still want a nice garden next year? I’m not a fan of thinking about gardening as a series of jobs. Hearing or reading about that just makes me feel guilty or lazy or both.
So what is worth doing before winter sets in though?
1. Make a compost corner
A lovely living pile of green stuff, full of bugs and turning into compost
My corner for throwing stuff in
Chuck decaying stuff in a corner to make a compost heap cum wildlife home. We need bugs and insects to keep a garden alive and it all starts with the stuff we can’t see and the creepy crawlies. Just throw veg peelings, cardboard, grass, anything green in an out of the way corner and leave it. It’ll turn into a heaving city of tiny bugs that will give your garden the life it needs.
2. Daffodils
You’ll be glad you planted these come February
Plant some cheap and cheerful daffodils either in the ground where you can see them from indoors or in some pots, plastic will do, and put them where you can see them. I wrote about that here and here
You needn’t bother planting stuff so far from your back door that you have to walk down the garden, think “oh that looks nice”, and walk back indoors. What’s the point?
3. Don’t tidy
Please leave the leaf litter and the dust and stuff. Just leave it. Step away from the broom and the leaf blower. The bug life so vital for a living garden is lurking and living in that leaf litter, under those wet leaves, in those corners. Leave it alone!!!!
In fact I’m thinking , just leave the poor garden alone. It’s had a funny old year: too hot, too dry, too wet. I’m going to experiment with just leaving it alone and see how it looks come February. If it’s a horrible mess I will own up at once.
4. Plant some tulips
Box of tulip bulbs on the left and daffodils on the right
Any time up to Christmas will do. You could even plant them after Christmas if you find them lurking in your shed when you’ve forgotten to plant them. They will still flower in the spring but a bit later. Many tulips don’t flower for more than one year so I buy quite cheap ones from GeeTee Bulb Company
I usually buy some bigger more expensive bulbs for some lovely pots and do my best to protect them from being eaten by squirrels. This year my latest wheeze is to grate very smelly soap around the bulbs and on the top of the pot.
I’ve read that the smell and taste puts them off. I shall report back on its success or failure (probably through a red mist of rage and disappointment).
5. If you’re a reluctant bulb planter
These are anemone corms soaking for a day before I plant them
Even easier to pop in are tiny bulbs of anemones, Scilla, muscari, or crocus. Buy them mail order or in bags from a garden centre. They’re the size of a nut and you can poke them in with your finger. It really is worth it. The packet says soak them before planting so that’s why they’re in a bowl of water.
If you want to remember where you planted bulbs you can sprinkle some grit on the area or pop in one little viola or similar to stop yourself digging them up again by mistake.
Then come indoors- from where you can watch the birds on your bird feeder that you’re going to think about getting. The birds will come all day every day all through winter. They like seeds and suet nibbles. You may find that watching them becomes one of life’s small joys.
Next year you might not feel reluctant any more – you might feel passionate and quite bonkers like the rest of us.
No birds in the photo of course, that would have been too lucky.
This Six on a Saturday is part of a theme from gardeners all over the world and you can see more here
Dear Julie
Here’s a message from a very reluctant gardener, who took your advice earlier in the year. You helped me create a few beautiful little spots in my garden, of green vibrant lushiousness (is that a word?) yes it did take some hard work to get started, but, I cant believe how many times a day my eye is drawn out into the garden. And the pride I feel in having made a difference, when I had convinced myself that I was useless in the garden.
So – this post is SPOT on ! I was just about to give myself permission to retreat indoors for 6 months but, your little tips have persuaded me to go out and brave the cold, for an hour or two, because …… it will be worth it. And you have only given me little things to attempt …. thanks Anne
I love the fact you’ve said your eye is drawn out into the garden. that’s one of the things having a garden is about. It’s not just a place to do things in. It’s for looking out on and thinking about when you’re snug inside. Thankyou for such an encouraging comment. xx
Tidying and not tidying at the moment. Some plants are bullies and cutting things back a bit feels liberating BUT I also have to remember to not go into tidying mania and just leave those leaves – really just leave them! So thank you for the reminder to calm down and enjoy the garden! I still have a big bag of daffs for a joyful planting sunny afternoon anytime soon.
Yes I agree tidying does feel very therapeutic doesn’t it so I do do a bit I must say. So glad you’ll be leaving the leaves. And planting daffs on a cold sunny day is a real joy isn’t it. Thankyou for commenting and I wish you a lovely autumn.
some of us do try to be too tidy.
Yes of course especially if we feel out of control in the rest of our lives. I often take out my frustration on some poor plant that doesn’t deserve it. I swing from tidying to not caring – poor old garden. I suppose we take out our emotions on the garden as it can’t fight back. Best wishes to you Beverly and thanks for your comment.