- Keep deadheading flowers so that they keep producing more flowers until the first frosts
- Take Yew hedge cuttings. Take semi ripe cuttings to a length of 6 to 8 inches. Put them straining into a plastic bag so that they don’t try out. Cut to size and then bury them up to their foliage in compost. Put them somewhere warm. They should then produce roots so that they are ready to plant out next Spring.
- Net Brassicas. Cabbage White butterflies are drawn to cabbage leaves where they will lay their eggs which hatch and turn into caterpillars which will eat your plants with disastrous results. The only way to prevent this is with garden netting which is fine enough to stop butterflies. Even with this in place it’s a good idea to check every week for signs of their eggs.
- Plant Kale plants. Don’t forget to plant them deep and firm them in well. They become large plants which get blown around so need a good foundation. Plants should be about 18 inches apart. Kale will grow through to next May and you just pick the leaves when you need them through the winter. Monty Don on Gardners World had the clever idea of filling in the gaps between the kale plants with a catch-crop of Oak Leaf Salad Bowl Lettice plants.
Between Christmas and New Year we wanted some fresh sea air and a nice walk so we had a trip to Southwold on the...