Dan and Julia talk to Rose Armstrong of McBeans Orchids, one of Britain's oldest and most illustrious nurseries. Your hosts discover what makes orchids such a vast and successful plant family and what's needed to grow and propagate them successfully at home. Before you ask, rainwater IS required, so get collecting now! Later in the episode, Julia explains how to overwinter your favourite chilli plants, and Dan describes the difference between bypass and anvil secateurs. As always, there's a handy reminder of the jobs you can be doing in your garden over the next fortnight to round off.
Jobs for the fortnight
- Mulch around the base of plants and over empty beds and borders. Over winter, worms will busily pull the organic matter into the soil, improving its structure.
- Collect leaves and add them to your compost heap, or pack them into jute sacks. They’ll slowly decompose to make leaf mould—one of the most precious ingredients in good compost. Shredding them will make them break down faster.
- Brush paths with coarse sand or use a jet washer to remove moss and algae, which can become slippery when wet or icy.
- In exposed gardens, reduce the height of tall shrubs such as roses, buddleia, and lavatera to prevent them from rocking in high winds. For the same reason, newly planted trees should be staked low down.
- Turn off the water supply to outdoor taps and drain hosepipes before storing them. Install a water butt if you need a ready supply of water over winter.
- If you’ve experienced blight, black spot, rust, or mildew this season, it's essential to remove and destroy any infected plant matter.
- Cutting off this year’s hellebore leaves is a good idea, allowing an uncluttered view of the nodding blooms in spring.
- Take a walk around the garden and inspect the large shrubs and trees, noting any branches that appear as if they might fall. Remove them yourself using loppers or a pruning saw if you feel able. If in doubt, call an arborist for a second opinion and to carry out the work. Do the same exercise for fences, garden buildings and ornamental structures, such as pergolas.
- Give the lawn one last cut, avoiding emerging bulbs - some early-flowering varieties can appear above ground well before Christmas.
- Order and plant bare-rooted plants. This is one of the cheapest and most environmentally friendly ways to create a hedge, rose garden, orchard or woodland area.
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Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local
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