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What to do in January for newbie gardners
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Hi I hope the following is of use to someone.
Start saving the following
Get to know your garden, which way it faces, type of soil,
Draw up a plan of your garden, decide where to plant, then, depending on which way the area faces and a few other things, what to plant. Ask if you need help on this one.
Ask at work/friends/family/ for free seeds or plants.
If you have never done gardening before it is often easier to start with plug plants,
let someone else start them off. Most gardeners are only too happy to give a few away to new gardeners.
Dig over any spare ground now and add compost/fertiliser.
There are probably loads of other things but that’s all I can think off the top of my head.....whilst at work!
I am sure that many others can add to this.
Happy gardening:D
ps. :T thanks again MSE, we do appreciate it.:T
Start saving the following
- SHOE BOX..................................for storing seeds, plant labels etc
- YOUGURT POTS........................for seed sowing and lots of other things
- OLD TIGHTS...............................cut up and used a plant ties
- OLD PLASTIC CARTONS..........cut up for plant labels
- PAPER BAGS AND ENVELOPES ........... for seed storage
- BAMBOO CANES.......................plant supports
- CAR TYRES.................................planters, very good for potatoes. Often free from tyre sellers.
- LOLLY STICKS...........................plant labels
- CORKS.........................................safety cap on end of canes/plant supports
- BROKEN CROKERY..................for bottom of pots,,(drainage)
- BUBBLE WRAP..........................frost protection
- EGG BOXES................................seed sowing and potting on
- OLD NET CURTAINS................if you need protective netting for fruit
Get to know your garden, which way it faces, type of soil,
Draw up a plan of your garden, decide where to plant, then, depending on which way the area faces and a few other things, what to plant. Ask if you need help on this one.
Ask at work/friends/family/ for free seeds or plants.
If you have never done gardening before it is often easier to start with plug plants,
let someone else start them off. Most gardeners are only too happy to give a few away to new gardeners.
Dig over any spare ground now and add compost/fertiliser.
There are probably loads of other things but that’s all I can think off the top of my head.....whilst at work!
I am sure that many others can add to this.
Happy gardening:D
ps. :T thanks again MSE, we do appreciate it.:T
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Comments
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Hi Annie123 - I have one more for your list of collectables:
- Polystyrene chips/packaging...................can be broken up to put in the bottom of large plant pots to provide drainage - less weight than using crocks.
- Plastic water bottles..............................can be cut down to use the top (with the lid taken off) as individual cloche protection against frost/slugs/snails for young plants. Can also be used as funnels and the bottom can be used as a small seed tray (with a couple of holes in the bottom).
Thanks to MSE, I am mortgage free!0 -
Good ideas angelavdavis 0
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Another idea for old Tights.
I store all my empty plantpots in them.
If you hang them up and cut the feet out of them you can just pull out a Plantpot when needed. :-)Member of the £2 savers club.£320
so far
saving for Holiday :j
You are never too Old to learn new tricks.:rotfl:0 -
Fantastic idea - mine just end up all over the garden :rolleyes:0
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If you're going to be a keen gardener, you're going to be working your butt off during most of the year. Take the time and sit back and spend some time dreaming and planning while you can! Get some books to look at, read all the advice columns, write lists and draw up plans. It doesn't half cheer up a miserable winter's day. Someone gave me The Painted Garden by Mary Woodin for Christmas which is wonderful to read at a time when venturing out to the end of the garden practically takes your skin off! Last year planted some large pots for outside french doors with winter flowering plants which I've really appreciated this year.
I'm going out and taking some photographs of the garden so that I remember where the bare winter gaps are and can fill those with some evergreens or winter colour when the weather cheers up. With the gales we're having up here there is also a bit of rescuing and remedial work to be doing - poor old trees are suffering and mysterious debris (v large piece of someone's lino for example) has to be removed.
You guys in the sheltered south east might be able to do digging but thought of getting outside to do anything with soil in my area is laughable at the moment. At most at the end of January and in Feb you get the odd mild day when a bit of tidying up can be done. But you can always catch up with these things so it's worth enjoying a bit of planning whilst you can.
Peartree0 -
Another one - save the plastic style corks you get in some wine bottles. If you cut them - cut off a third to make a flat edge - they make great & affordable pot feet.0
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More than you might imagine:
http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/this-month
Our Horticultural Manager Andrew Tokely has selected some seed species below that you should be planting up in the following month, with some useful gardening sundry selections as well:
Begonias
Pelargoniums
Antirrhinums
Dianthus
Laurentia
Sweet Peas
Pansy/Viola
Passiflora
Sprouting Seeds
Herbs for Windowsills
Onion: Beacon
Onion: Buntons Showstopper
Onion: Ailsa Craig
This is a regular feature on the Thomson and Morgan website - so worth dipping in to look each month
Also see weekly gardening tips:
http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/tokely0 -
Aries wrote:Another idea for old Tights.
I store all my empty plantpots in them.
If you hang them up and cut the feet out of them you can just pull out a Plantpot when needed. :-)
Also good to store onions. Put an onion into the foot, tie a knot above it, put in another onion. You can then hang them in store, they have plenty of ventilation, and the onions don't touch each other, so keeping rot at bay.
Penny. x:rudolf: Sheep, pigs, hens and bees on our Teesdale smallholding :rudolf:0 -
Dont forget after the winds have died down, to pop into your gardens and check for any trees that may have been loosened by the winds.
I needed to re stake my young apple tree after the last strong winds.0
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