Patrol for snails

WHAT TO DO NOW | DECEMBER

Take a bucket and go on a snail hunt.

In winter, snails hibernate under the
cover of foliage, stones, paving slabs,
on brickwork and behind climbers.
Target the areas that have plants that
snails love to eat – these pests won’t
be far away. Pick them off and take
them at least 20m away if you don’t
want them to return in spring. Snails
avoid freezing winter weather by
gathering in groups in sheltered spots
and using a plug of dried mucous to
block their shell entrances.
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Search for snails on cold days when you’ll likely find several together
QUICK
SOLUTIONS
Grab a pair of clean, sharp
shears to trim back untidy,
soggy perennials when you
notice them. Those that are
falling over the lawn or
other perennials need
cutting back before they
affect the health of the
plants around them. If the
plant is too tough for
shears, use your secateurs.

Tidy up messy borders

Get out into the garden to give your
borders a tidy up before winter
really sets in. Wet soil can be
damaged if you walk over it, so wait
for a clear, dry day. Trim back broken
flower heads and branches that
have been battered by the winds.
Be careful not to prune too much
back as more tender plants such
as salvias are vulnerable to
Don’t forget
penetrating frosts and need some Prune ornamental vines,
cover provided by upper branches. trimming shoots back to
Hand weed and add a layer of two buds away from the
compost mulch, to maintain the main framework
soil moisture for next season
and boost growth in the spring. Sow seeds of alpines
and leave outdoors, but
protect the pot from rain
with a sheet of glass

Continue potting up lily

bulbs and leave outside

Sow pelargonium seeds

Give spent flowers a second life for summer bedding
by using them in creative projects

Cut flowerheads Clean your

for decoration watering cans
Cut off the heads of grasses and Clean the inside of your watering
upright perennials to make can to remove debris, fungal
Christmas decorations. Seedheads spores and algae that grows when
of honesty, button heads of monarda water is left in the bottom. Use
and echinacea, or spiky sea holly can a bottlebrush down the spout
all be used to make dried displays. and wash the rose separately.
Collect them on a dry day and Citrus-based garden disinfectants
put them upright into empty jars for are safe for plants, so are good
a couple of days to dry the heads to use in a can, but fresh water
before arranging. Hydrangea flowers and a scrubbing brush followed
can be dried upright in the same by thorough rinsing is also fine.
way. These faded blooms can be
sprayed or mixed with evergreen
foliage from the garden.

WATCH videos and get

tips for festive projects at
gardenersworld.com/creative
Tidy up messy stems, but save cutting grasses until spring

104 gardenersworld.com December 2020