Gardening with Gerry: planting a winter wonderland

During the winter months, gardens generally lack colour, but a few simple pots or other containers can make a big difference. Not many pots are needed to achieve this, and winter bedding need not be very expensive.

The key to success is the placement of winter pots. Put a couple of pots near the door, or on a paved area close to the house, and they create the illusion that there is some colour outdoors.

Place a pot with a few bedding plants and spring bulbs at the end of a garden path or close to a garden seat and suddenly, the area looks less bare. Even in a big garden, a relatively small area of colour can be very effective.

The plants are the most important feature but the pot or container itself is part of the effect and good-quality containers are decorative, even before they are planted up. Choose pots of suitable size for their location.

In general, winter pots need to be fairly large. Small pots may need to be grouped together to have the same impact. Alternatively, a group of pots of varied sizes can look very well.

While it is possible to have window boxes and hanging baskets in winter, just as in summer, they need to be monitored, especially if the weather gets too blustery. Containers above ground level can be damaged or blown down, if they are not heavy enough or well-anchored.

Plants for pots

Having selected suitable locations and pots that look well, the choice of plants can be made. There are three main groups of plants to consider – plants for bulk and greenery, plants for colour and spring bulbs. The plants for bulk and greenery form the backbone of the planting.

One or more of these plants gives presence to a container. These plants can be 40-90cm tall. Suitable bulky or evergreen plants include cordyline, skimmia, small conifers, hebe, elaeagnus, heathers, ivy, aucuba and other evergreen shrubs. These can bulk up a pot greatly. Skimmia and gaultheria have colourful berries.

On a smaller scale, good foliage fillers include bergenia, ajuga, heuchera, sedges and phormium. One or more of these plants can give greenery that lasts all winter and spring.

Ornamental kale or cabbage, in creamy white or bright purple, is grown for use in winter planting schemes and it lasts until late spring. ‘Angel Wings’ is a relatively new arrival in garden centres. It is a form of cineraria and has large leaves, completely covered with white hairs, so the entire plant appears white.

Early colour can be provided by hardy cyclamen, chrysanthemums, winter pansies and primroses, all of which are in flower from early autumn. The hardy cyclamen is a relatively recent addition to the choice and it is invaluable in autumn and early winter.

Winter pansies and primroses will flower through the winter and peak in spring. Wallflowers, double daisies and forget-me-nots flower in spring but provide greenery during the winter months.

Spring bulbs

Spring bulbs of several kinds can be used. They can be planted to flower in sequence — snowdrops, crocus, Greek anemones, hyacinths, small tulips, daffodils and large tulips. Two or more kinds can be used to spread the season, and a small group of flower bulbs is better than spacing out single bulbs around the sides of a pot.

When choosing plants, start with the bulk provider, then choose some greenery and then colour providers and spring bulbs. It might be possible to dig up existing garden plants.

Visit a few garden centres if necessary to make a suitable match-up. The small shrubs, such as euonymus, gaultheria, heather and skimmia, and perennial flowers, such as bergenia, heuchera and ajuga, can be planted out in the open ground of the garden after they have served a season in the pot, or perhaps two seasons.

They can be taken out in May when the summer bedding is ready to be potted up. Spring bulbs can also be taken out and planted out in the garden as they will be spent by growing within the confines of a pot.

When potting up winter bedding, mix half-and-half unsterilised garden soil and compost. Then add in 30g of slow-release or general fertiliser per 10 litres of this mix. This gives an open rich compost for planting winter pots successfully.

Can you cast any light on the poor performance of apple trees this year. I have one in the back garden which produced very little? - Pat Murphy, Naas, Co Kildare

Cold, wet weather in spring upset the flying of honeybees and other pollinators. This factor is worse in an exposed garden. Cold weather also affects the growth and energy reserves of the trees and they can abort the fertilisation of the embryo seeds within the developing fruit.

Also, many trees cropped well last year and it is not unusual for trees to take a rest the following year. This is called biennial bearing and it can affect most apple varieties. Some fruit trees have a tendency to bear heavily on alternate years.

The main strategy to discourage alternate bearing of fruit trees is to control excessive fruit setting in any one year by pruning or thinning.

Trees, shrubs and roses: All kinds of pot-grown trees and shrubs can be planted at this time of year.

Fruit, vegetables and herbs: Plant fruit trees, bushes and strawberries. Remove over-mature vegetables and compost them, except if they have root diseases.

Lawn: Moss has had a great year, treat with sulphate of iron if needed.

Flowers: Plant spring bulbs and bedding plants for spring colour, either in pots or in the open soil.

Greenhouse and house plants: Water sparingly to reduce the risk of grey mould disease. Set up a greenhouse frost protection heater to protect tender plants.