In her January Garden Notes, local gardener Maggie Baldwin looks ahead to the new growing year, with seasonal tips on winter care, wildlife-friendly gardening, and activities with Thetford Garden and Allotment Club.
A new gardening year to look forward to, as gardeners we are very optimistic and always hope the new season will be better than the last!
Wildlife is important to us gardeners, and our gardens provide refuges for a variety of creatures. A recent survey by the RHS noted that cultivated garden space covers 4.6% of the area of Great Britain and is more than three times the area covered by national nature reserves, so it’s clear how important our gardening practices are to our wildlife. With avian flu around in our area, it’s important to clean bird feeders regularly to prevent the spread of the disease.
If we do get frosts this month, don’t walk on your lawn as it can cause the grass to die back, leaving bare patches. It’s also best to keep off frozen soil, as it can cause compaction and make it difficult to cultivate once it thaws. If the ground is frost-free, mulch can be added to beds. It will be dragged down into the soil by worms and beetles and will improve the soil ready for planting later in the year.
January can be a quieter gardening month and gives time to tidy sheds and glasshouses if the weather is suitable. Check for any chemicals past their use-by date (even organic) and dispose of them according to local authority rules. Look out for any sale bargains in garden centres this month. Gloves, secateurs and terracotta pots can all be available with good reductions. Maybe you’ve got some Christmas vouchers, so why not treat yourself!
If you had a real Christmas tree, look out for recycling locally, or if you have a shredder, the chippings can be spread as a mulch around established trees and shrubs. Rhubarb crowns can be covered now with a bucket or a terracotta forcing jar to ‘force’ them for an early crop of pink, tender stems in the spring.
Thetford Garden and Allotment Club will be holding a Beetle Drive on Tuesday, 24th February at 6.30pm at Thetford Methodist Church. There is an entry fee of £3 which includes tea and cakes. The Spring Show will be on 11th April, the Summer Show on 13th June, and the Autumn Show on 5th September, with entry fees of 40p for members and 50p for non-members. All shows will be held at Thetford Methodist Church.
For a schedule for any of the shows, contact Yvonne Rout, at: yvonnerout@gmail.com or call 07867 974544.
Happy New Year!
Maggie Baldwin
