The garden stares back each time I look at it at this time of year. I suppose it’s nudging a gentle reminder that spring is approaching, and the more I do now, the less I will have to do later.
No more excuses then: the festivities are over, so it is time to start thinking about the year ahead at Great Dixter, where I am head gardener. It was a long wind down to winter last year, and this has taken its toll. Starting in the garden isn’t always easy and the weather doesn’t help either — cold or wet, it’s there to deter us.
I find it better to ease myself back into the garden rather than take a cold plunge into it. But how do you start when every time you open the door there seems to be an excuse to shut it again? It’s best to do some thinking first — it’s a good time of year to think about any changes you want to make: change is good for a garden as it keeps it dynamic, but for its own sake it is often a mistake. The aim should be to improve all the time. Stand still, and you go stale. So take a good look at your garden with new eyes, analyse it and be critical.
Thinking of last year is a good way to kick-start the process. Think back to your successes and aim to build on them. If you had an effective combination of three plants, for example, then enlarging this group could give you even more dramatic results. Maybe the group could do with more structure or height? This is fine-tuning, which we should all do on a regular basis.
Also, you should reflect on your failures. Was the garden weak in August, September or October, perhaps? Was there enough colour? Were there too many colours? Did the plants grow well? These are typical questions you should ask yourself. Find the answers, and you’ll make a real difference. Improvements won’t just happen, they’ll require a bit of grey matter followed by physical effort. And don’t expect to get it right first time round.
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Sometimes it’s difficult to keep track of all your ideas, so I keep a garden notebook and often refer to it for inspiration. This is the most underrated garden tool by far: mine goes everywhere with me and, although I don’t use it daily, I note down interesting plants or good combinations when they strike me. Sometimes, I just make a list of plants. Perhaps a rough sketch is needed to fix a combination. My notes can be quite detailed, describing a plant from tip to toe (and always giving the date and where I saw it), or they can be as brief as “get more ferns” or “more snowdrops”.
I write instructions for myself when I’ve got a moment (train journeys are good for this). Over the year, these notes add up to a cocktail of information and are catalysts for new ideas, some of which are implemented, while others aren’t. But they are there as reference and to force you to focus.
Don’t just stop at a notebook, but dip into all sorts of media. Seed catalogues, for instance, are great browsing material. I love growing from seed: sowing, watching it germinate, pricking out and then potting on to plant out later — it’s all a thrill. And don’t worry about what people say: it’s easier than you think.
I’ll lose myself in quite a few catalogues over the next few days. These will not just be ones from the well-known firms such as Thompson & Morgan, Chiltern Seeds or Suttons, but also ones from smaller firms such as Secret Seeds, Plants of Distinction and Special Plants. There are many more, including ones from exotic locations such as South Africa, listed in Karen Platt’s book, The Seed Search. This is a treasure trove for seed enthusiasts, giving hundreds of suppliers and a comprehensive list of the seeds available. Here you may find something slightly more unusual than the norm — a new foxglove, a different allium, something tropical — or you may come across an old friend that you want to try again. It’s an enjoyable process.
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It’s the same with vegetables. I know what does well on our patch, but there’s quite a lot more out there to try. You don’t have to grow a lot — just a few to try out. Seeds of Italy has a mouthwatering range of classic Italian vegetables that makes you want to grow and cook Italian. The packets are beautiful in their own right (there’s a thought for next year’s Christmas presents).
Then there is the great Medwyn Williams, who has given a master class on vegetable-growing year after year at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show (unfortunately, 2005 was his last year). His catalogue, Medwyn’s of Anglesey, offers a selection of his best varieties. I’ve seen what he can grow, and it’s inspiring.
Nursery catalogues are next on the list. Michael Wickenden of Cally Gardens is based in Gatehouse of Fleet, Dumfries & Galloway. Friends who have visited have not been disappointed. Wickenden is adventurous and sources plants from all over the world. He provides a mail-order service and has a good list of unusual gems that reflect his travels.
Graham Gough of Marchants Hardy Plants sells what he calls “good garden plants”, and I trust his judgment on this. Then there is Knoll Gardens, specialising in grasses, and Marina Christopher of Phoenix Perennial Plants, who has umpteen interesting perennials.
These are just a few of our top-notch nurseries, and their catalogues fill your mind with possibilities. Make a list of things worth a try, but always remember to consider your space. It’s no good getting carried away and ordering half a dozen shrubs if you have room for only one.
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Sleep on it if you need to. Also, list in hand, go out and have a look. Cast an eye over each existing plant in your garden. Do you like it? What did it do last year? Can’t remember? Well, if you can’t remember, then is it worth keeping? Maybe not, and perhaps there’s a suitable alternative on your list? Make notes, and if you haven’t got a notebook by now, get one quick, before your ideas go cold.
Talking about the cold, make sure that you are comfortable standing out there: snug as a bug, you’ll be out for longer and achieve more. I swear by my waterproof trousers. Not only do they insulate but they keep my knees dry when down in the undergrowth. A good hat, good boots, a warm fleece — it all seems obvious, but so many people don’t bother.
So, before you know it, you are outside, full of ideas and itching to get stuck in. But a word of warning: don’t go crazy and start ripping everything out. Think first and act later. There’s no rush: after all, it’s only January.
And another thought. We can all do our bit to cut down on waste, recycle, use fewer chemicals and be greener. There are good organically approved alternatives to some of the chemicals we once couldn’t garden without. For instance, I don’t use the blue slug pellets any longer, but rely on ferric phosphate, which is harmless to humans, pets and wildlife (so far, so good). There isn’t an answer for everything, but have a look to see what there is.
The Organic Gardening Catalogue is the mail-order catalogue for the Henry Doubleday Research Association, now known as Garden Organic, the national charity for organic gardening, horticulture and food. It has the full range, from organically grown seed to biological pest control. Give it a try: your garden will become a happier place for it.
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Cally Gardens, 01557 815 029, www.callygardens.co.uk; Chiltern Seeds, 01229 581 137, www.chilternseeds.co.uk; Knoll Gardens, 01202 873 931, www.knollgardens.co.uk; Marchants Hardy Plants, 01323 811 737; Medwyn’s of Anglesey, www.medwynsofanglesey.co.uk ; the Organic Gardening Catalogue, 0845 130 1304, www.organiccatalog.com; Phoenix Perennial Plants, 01420 560 695; Plants of Distinction, www.plantsofdistinction.co.uk; Secret Seeds, 01398 331 946, www.secretseeds.com; Seeds of Italy, 020 8427 5020, www.seedsofitaly.sagenet.co.uk; the Seed Search (£8), www.karenplatt.co.uk; Special Plants, 01225 891 686, www.specialplants.net; Suttons, 0870 220 0606, www.suttons-seeds.co.uk; Thompson & Morgan, 01473 688 821, www.seeds.thompson-morgan.com