Gardening in January

     So, if the weather is good, you might as well be in the garden. 

     House work can wait.  I am trying to finish putting away the Christmas stuff, seems there is more every year and Gill doesn't want me to get rid of anything.  But there is a box that is packed for the Community Workshop for next November.  Shh, don't tell her.

     Back to gardening.  If the temperature is around 10 C, in January (Tues. Jan 3), you might as well be out.  Do you know how easy it is to pull those weeds (yes I am on the weed topic again)?

     Out came the groundsel, which is still blooming.  Some one should test to see if those seeds are viable, bet they are, that is one determined plant.

     The grass still grows in the paths.  And this time of year they are so easy to pull, the ground is moist and the frost has somewhat heaved them up.  Only the dandelions and some plantain which has more of a tap root are more difficult to pull by hand.  I needed my little weeder, which I didn't bother with.  So I will get to them during the next thaw and the way the winter is going, I don't doubt that there will be another one.

     Andrew gave me these great gloves from Lee Valley Tools. (Thermal Gripper Gloves)  They are slightly insulated, quite comfortable and perfect when you want a bit of warmth this time of year.  Like the uninsulated pairs (Lightweight Nitrite Gripper Gloves)  I wear the rest of the year, they are quite easy to pick up small objects with.  These are great gloves and they keep your hands in good shape (for a gardener).

      This weather isn't all great, some of the bulbs and plants are getting heaved up.  These crocus are out of the ground and the Primula veris (below) has its roots exposed.  I will have to get a bit of soil some where or bark and mulch this bed. 

      They are directly under a Maple.  I think the tree is part of the problem with heaving. The rest of the garden isn't showing any signs of frost heave.  Although as of Tuesday, there wasn't much frost in the ground.



But the Daffodils are peeking up.

Back to bed darlings.

I guarantee winter will be back

The Plants are Still Growing

      Now that all the pots were put to bed, it was time to start to clean up the nursery beds.  This is a good project for October.  The days are cooler, everything is usually finished blooming in the nursery and the plants are getting ready to go to sleep for the winter.  Last year, I didn't get the beds cleaned up so spring cleaning was in order, which is perfectly fine, there is really no reason why it can't be left till then.  But I am usually quite busy in the spring and one less thing to do helps out a lot.  Certain perennial are left untouched because they create winter interest.

      As you can see not everything has stopped growing.  I don't thinks weeds ever do.  This Irish moss is a menace to my woolly thyme path.  I am constantly removing it.  I don't understand why any one would want to purchase the cultivated version.
 

      And why do they feel the need to cosy up to the stems of plants making them very difficult to remove.  I have to say that I think dandelions are at their best in the spring and fall.  The groundsel is growing well too, I think it germinates blooming.  That is one that definitely needs to be removed.

       Here it is the first of November and I still have flowers blooming.  Monkshood, Anemone, and even the Double Marsh Marigold.  I don't think it realizes it is not spring.

      Certainly, Sedums are at their best usually right through winter.  Some hold there colour better than others.  Nothing beats Autumn Joy and Brilliant.  The Sedums are not at their best this year because of all the rain we had,  most of them have flopped over.

      They may not have blooms this time of year, but some plants like certain Euphorbias and Coral Bells, look even better than they do in the summer.

      I had never been particularly fond of Coral Bells but for these reasons I think they are really growing on me.  Now I know there are getting to be quite a few varieties of these just like mega amounts of Hosta but I will try to restrain myself in getting too many more....  I think.