May Meeting | 'Dahlias' - Richard Ramsey | Tuesday 13th May, 8pm
A New Year and a new opportunity to make some New Year's Resolutions. Perhaps to dead-head a bit more regularly or to plant a few more bee-friendly plants? Whatever you do, let's hope that it will be another great gardening year.
With the hectic month of December over with, it's time to relax into January with the new Worplesdon Garden Club January Newsletter!
January and early February is a good time for the winter pruning of apples and pears (non-stone fruit) and for making sure that any fallen leaves or old stems of herbaceous perennials don’t smother emerging bulbs or winter bedding
Now is the time for winter pruning of Wisteria where stems are cut back stems to two or three buds
Also prune other climbers such as Virginia creeper, ivy, Campsis, winter-flowering jasmine, and the late-flowering Clematis – ones that flower on the new season’s growth
Bare rooted roses, shrubs, hedging, and some trees can also be planted now through to end of February and are a very cost-effective way to buy new plants
In the vegetable garden, continue to harvest winter veg such as brassicas, parsnips, and any remaining carrots, then dig over any vacant plots incorporating well-rotted manure or compost into beds that will be growing potatoes, brassicas, and legumes, but do not manure beds for root vegetables
No-dig gardening is a better alternative to digging that improves soil structure and ecology. Simply layer on the compost now (use cardboard to smother weeds if necessary) but do not dig it in – the worms in the soil will do the hard work for you.
If you have the space, the warmth, and the light to grow on the young plants, some seeds can be sown now of plants that need a long growing season, such as chillies, or plants that you want to have as early as possible, such as lettuce and tomatoes.
Ventilate greenhouses on warmer or sunnier days if you are overwintering plants or perhaps give it a pre-Spring clean inside and out and ensure that the glass is clean to allow as much light in as possible
Finally, as you enjoy your garden and the frosts that paint the stems and foliage, spare a thought for the birds, and put some food and water out – they will repay you later in the season by eating lots of unwanted pests
Something missing? - Use the Feedback form to suggest your own Tips and Dos and Don'ts...
Use the arrows on the pictures to browse
Snowdrops, Galanthus nivalis
Cornus alba 'Sibirica'
Sarcococca confusa, Sweet box
Phlomis italica, Balearic Island Sage
Skimmia japonica
Cyclamen persicum (Indoor Cyclamen)
Verbena bonariensis
Brussels Sprout, Brassica oleracea
Lichen Pixie Cups, Cladonia chlorophaea
Schlumbergera buckleyi, Christmas Cactus
Hellebore
Nandina domestica 'Obsessed', Heavenly Bamboo
Viburnum, Viburnum tinus
Indoor Azalea, Rhododendron simsii
Bronze fennel, Foeniculum vulgare 'Purpureum'
Something missing? - Use the Feedback form to let us know your recommended plants to grow...
Part Anagram; Part Crossword. The answers to all the short clues are shorter-word anagrams of the long starter word, and there's even some clues to help you complete it! The answers are at the bottom of the page.
If you bought a real Christmas Tree this year, there are various places you can take it to be composted in the Guildford area.
The last few days of Glow at Wisley – the wonderful illuminations that transform the gardens finishes on the 5th January. Booking is essential.
Other illuminations are available for a few days into January, including Christmas at Kew, Glow Wild at Wakehurst, Windsor Great Park Illuminated, and Leonardslee Lights.
The Therapy Garden in Glaziers Lane, Normandy are looking for horticultural and general volunteers to help people with challenges in their lives. Please see their website for more information.
The Acorns History Group have a talk on Glasshouses on the 14th January at 10am in St Mary the Virgin Church, Shalford, GU4 8BP.
The Alpine Garden Society will hold its Spring Show at RHS Wisley on the 8th February.
Further afield, the Shaftesbury Snowdrop Festival (Shaftesbury, Dorset, SP7 8LY) runs from the 9th-23rd February and has a whole range of snowdrop-related events.
Something missing? - Use the Feedback form to suggest places to visit or local events...
(Click to Reveal)