Phormium tenax | Sally Wicks

So far this year, not a single snowflake has fallen. To remind myself of happy snow filled times, see below.

Pruning deciduous trees, shrubs and roses is a winter work priority. As well as waiting for snow, I am patiently waiting for a couple of hard frosts, and then I will start my winter pruning. I feel it has just been too mild to date, I need the plants to be dormant before I start.

If I had completed my winter pruning by now, I seriously think that with the recent mild weather conditions, new buds could easily have already formed, and those new buds could be damaged when we eventually do get wintry weather conditions. So I have decided to wait.

These Silver birch, were planted as bare root saplings about seven years ago. They now stand around eight metres tall.

If you can wait patiently, for a bare root sapling to mature, it is a really economical way to provide long term winter structure for your garden. They are readily available from most garden centres in the winter planting period, and cost around £2.00 each. They are so easy to plant. Make a slit in the soil with a spade, pop in the plant, and firm the soil back, and your job is done !

This Phormium was recently planted. The roots were so vibrant, I just had to photograph them.

The root colours, reminded me of a favourite shrub, and plants I will be growing from seed for this summer.

Due to my pruning being on hold until we get a decent frost, copious amounts of weeding and un- required plant removal continues instead. Rooted suckers of brambles have been removed by the barrow load. Otherwise there will be no space for the intended plants in the borders.

Nettles are growing away well, in fact they are romping away in some customers gardens, to the point where I have been removing them by the barrow load. I always choose to leave a small patch at the back of a border though, as their leaves are the perfect host for visiting butterflies to lay their eggs, and act as a food source for the developing larvae. If you want to see more Red Admirals, Peacock, and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies in your garden, then you REALLY should consider leaving a patch in your garden too.

Native ivy is a great source of late autumn nectar from its flowers for garden insects, and provides a secure place for birds to make their nests. With this in mind, I am happy for it to be climbing up a wall, or a tree. It is only removed when found to be swamping the surface of a planted ornamental border.

This winter it feels like grey sky days have been my constant work companion. Who would have thought that grey and brown could be so strikingly beautiful ?

Foliage is being cleared from emerging snowdrops. The beech leaves will be left to rot down naturally into the earth, and in the meantime they will keep weeds at bay.