1. Top 5 December Gardening Tasks to Keep Your Garden Flourishing

Christmas is approaching, but there's still work to be done in the garden. Here are my tips for gardening tasks in December.

1. Make a Christmas Wreath

My Christmas Wreath 2023

Gather plants from your local surroundings or clip stems from your garden featuring winter blooms or berries like Skimmia, Ivy, Sarcococca, and Mahonia. Form a base using sphagnum moss, which can be found at most quality florists or garden centers, and layer it with evergreens, securing them with florist wire. Decorate with pine cones, dried orange slices, and cinnamon sticks. Most importantly, have fun.

2. Start to prune climbing roses

   
   
   
   

   

   Rosa 'New Dawn' climbing rose in my E11 Naturalistic Planting Design

   
   

   Climbing roses such as Rosa 'New Dawn' can be pruned any time from now until February. Firstly remove any dead, diseased or damaged branches. Prune flowered side shoots back by 2/3rds and if the plants is congested, remove some of the older stems to the base.

3. Plant Fragrant shrubs near entrances

   
   

   

   Viburnum bodnatense 'Dawn' frame the entrance to my N16 Victorian Front Garden

   Fragrant Winter flowering shrubs like Viburnum bodnatense 'Dawn' or Sarcococca confusa are invaluble at this time of the year when there are not many other flowers in the garden. Plant in a bed or pots near an entrance to appreciate the fragrance each time you leave or arrive at the house.

4. Prune Apple and pear trees

   

   Mature Apple tree in my N12 Dog Friendly Garden

   Apples and pear trees can be pruned whilst dormant, usually between Nov - early March. The aim is to produce an open goblet shape and to remove no more than 20% of the capony. Start by removing any dead, diseased or damaged branches, and remove any crossing shoots or shoots growing into the centre more than 20cm long. Shorten the previous years growth on the main branches by 1/4 to an outward facing bud. Leave young side shoots (laterals) unpruned.

5. Clean out ponds

   
   

   

   Zinc bath wildlife pond in my E5 garden

   Clear out any fallen leaves and excessive dead material from the pond as this can break down causing biofilm, an oily film on the pond surface. Prune brown and yellow leaves from your pond plants and cut back any overhanging plants to maximxise Winter light levels into your pond.