PlantAdvice.co.uk

In this month’s edition of the podcast we discuss seasonal gardening jobs to do in the garden during the month of December and a selection of plants that look good at this time of year, including the ubiquitous Christmas house plants the Poinsettia and the Christmas Cactus.

Plant of the Month - 05' 45"

Our plant of the month for December is Prunus serrula also known as the Tibetan Cherry.

• Height 12m, spread 10m
• Hardy, full sun or partial shade
• Average growth Moist, well drained loam
• Flowers May, white; cherry-like fruits Dark green, willow-like leaves turning yellow in Autumn
• Amazing shiny, rich brown peeling bark

Perfect Pairing - 08' 40"

For the month of December we've picked two plants that compliment each other because of their fragrance:

Hamamelis mollis – Chinese witch hazel

• Slow growing hardy shrub
• 4m tall, 4m spread
• Full sun/partial shade, moist, well drained ericaceous soil
• Flowers: fragrant spidery yellow, Jan & Feb

Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna – Sweet Box

• Slow growing, evergreen, hardy shrub
• 1.5m tall, 2m spread
• Partial/Deep shade, moist, well drained loam soil
• Flowers: vanilla scent fragrant, cream white tassel like, Dec to Mar; long flowering period

Jobs in the Garden - 12' 47"

• Care for your Poinsettia
• Care for your Christmas Cactus
• Garden furniture, pergolas, trellis and archways can be painted with wood preservative
• Cover borderline hardy perennials with a protective mulch of compost
• Horticultural fleece can be used to protect larger tender plants
  
• If heavy snow falls, shake off branches of trees & shrubs to prevent snapping under weight
• Fruit tree pruning
• Stop the water supply to outside taps & leave open; lag to protect from frost damage

In the Vegetable Garden - 17' 41"

Plant out: Rhubarb crowns

Harvest: Spinach, Cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, Leeks and Kale

Plants of Note - 18' 27"

Another two plants that we felt we worthy of note for this month are:

Mahonia x media ‘Winter Sun’

• Fast growing, evergreen hardy shrub; architectural
• 5m tall, 4m spread
• Full sun/partial shade, moist, well-drained soil
• Flowers: fragrant yellow, Nov to Mar, long flowering period
• Dark green holly-like leaves Purple berries

Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’

• Fast growing, hardy shrub; interesting bark
• 1.5m tall, 1.5m spread
• Full sun/partial shade, moist, well-drained soil
• Flowers: cream/white, May & Jun
• Dark green oval leaves Bright coral-red stems

Listener’s Questions - 22' 10"

Faith Perry - I cover my clematis when frost is forecast. Can I just leave it covered even though the weather improves? Also, does it need a double thickness of fleece or will a single one be sufficient? It is beautiful but hard work when I have to go out and cover it each night that a frost is forecast.

Izabela Russell - Why are my strawberries and snowdrops coming up in November?

David Bradbury - Do garden fertilisers - bonemeal, blood and bone etc. have a shelf life?