麻豆约拍

Its tidying up now with lots of jobs in the garden getting all ready for the next phase of the gardening year which is moving along very fast.

The vegetable patch can be planted with Brassica crops and winter Lettuce as well as late potatoes and the borders, once cleared of the summer bedding can be decked out with the usual colourful plants including Winter flowering Pansies and Viola's and of course the very popular Polyanthus which should provide colour all through the winter months. Don't forget Wallflowers which can be purchased as semi mature plants ready to go straight into the ground. Once planted these hardy border plants will make rapid growth and will add not only colour but a wonderful perfume as well on sunny winter days.

PLANT OF THE WEEK:

CHIMONANTHUS PRAECOX 'Luteus' or Winter Sweet is a lovely garden shrub which originates from the hills of China, so is pretty hardy. The plant supports light green stems which are covererd in waxy yellow and puple flowers from December to January. Planted against a south or west facing wall where the sun will ripen the the growth this shrub will add winter coulour to the garden as well as a heady fragrance. Cut some of the stems off before flowering to bring into the house for decoration. General pruning should be carried out on the shrub once the flowers have died off.

TOPICAL TIPS:

1: Harvest the last of the Tomatoes and lay on the bench in the greenhouse or on a windowsill inside to ripen. Ripe Tomatoes or a Banana placed alonside will help to ripen them quicker.

2: Buy some cheap shrub Roses from the garden centre and fill the empty borders in the greenhouse with them. This will not only crop up the greenhouse for the winter but will add early coulour and give cut flowers to bring indoors. If your greenhouse is without borders then plant the Rosess in flower pots and place inside.

3: Buy plants for winter hanging baskets. The garden centres will have plenty now. The best buys are Miniature Conifers or Skimmia's for placing in the centre of the basket with Ivy's, Heather's, Cyclamen, Chrysanths and Pansies.

Happy Gardening

Show less