28 November 2023 , 08:58
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Oh the weather outside is frightful, but beautiful plants, yummy vegetables, fruits and herbs are so delightful!
While this time of year is widely considered a no-no for planting anything, you may be very pleasantly surprised to learn this isn't the case - you just need to know where to look. Granted, it may not be the traditional planting season, but there are specific advantages to consider when it comes to planting certain items in the chillier months.
For a start, the soil is often well-moistened from autumnal and early winter rains - which is great for allowing roots to penetrate the earth more easily. This time of year also provides a welcome breather to take stock and plan exactly what you want in your garden for Spring.
As such, garden experts at Thompson & Morgan have come up with a useful list of flowers, plants, fruits and vegetables which are suitable for sowing and growing right about now.
Plants and flowers to sow and grow in winter
In the greenhouse/indoors
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- Sow half hardy annual seeds such as laurentia ‘Stargazer Mixed’ and antirrhinums (Snapdragons) in a cool greenhouse now for early flowering come summertime.
- Pop some geranium ‘Moulin Rouge’ seeds and Begonia semperflorens 'Options Mixed' safely under cover or on a sun-drenched windowsill. These will look absolutely amazing planted up together in containers come late spring.
- Be sure to plant out indoor grown forced hyacinth bulbs in garden beds and borders after Christmas flowering is over. They will flower again next year.
Plant outdoors
- To add colour to your winter garden, plant up winter containers with ivy, Skimmia japonica ‘Rubella’ and evergreen grass plants such as Carex morrowii 'Variegata'. To wow visitors, make sure they are positioned beside entrances and well-used paths.
- To fill any gaps in spring borders, it's a great idea to plant flowering bulbs in large pots of compost ready for the job. Among the better choices are tulip bulbs, which will still do well even when planted this late in the year.
- December is a great time to plant winter flowering shrubs in beds and borders outdoors. If it's a stong fragrance you're after, look no further than sarcococca confusa, while Mahonia x media ‘Winter Sun’ produces beautiful, bright yellow blooms throughout the month.
- To create attractive boundaries around your garden - and encourage wildlife in the process - why not plant some bare-root native hedging? This can add a real splash of colour, even to the dourest-looking yards.
- It's easy to forget, so make a note of any winter-flowering annuals in your garden, so you can grow your favourites again next year!
Herbs and vegetables to sow and grow in winter
In the greenhouse/indoors
- Sow herb seeds such as dill, chives, basil ‘Sweet Green’, and mint indoors on your windowsill to use over the winter months. Be sure to allow the strongest seedlings to mature for planting in the spring.
- Sow winter hardy salad leaves under cover, such as lettuce 'Arctic King' and 'Winter Gem'.
Direct sow outdoors
- Sow hardy broad bean 'Aquadulce Claudia', or the dwarf variety ‘The Sutton’, in rows outdoors under cloches - a low, portable protective structure made of glass or rigid transparent plastic.
Plant outdoors
- Now is the time to plant rhubarb plants in well-prepared soil. Make sure you add in plenty of organic matter as they do get rather hungry!
Fruit to sow and grow in winter
- To bag a tasty crop of raspberries come summer or autumn, plant raspberry canes while they’re dormant.
- Plant other berry fruits such as delicious blackberries any time between now and the spring.
- For a crop of sweet berries in the summer, get those strawberry plants in now.
- For an attractive addition to any fruit garden, plant blueberries this winter. With their gorgeous white flowers, yummy berries and striking autumn foliage, these acid-loving plants are a source of constant interest. You can try growing your berries in ericaceous compost, should your soil be too alkali.
- Sow bare root gooseberries, such as the heavy cropping ‘Invicta’, in December along with red, white and blackcurrant plants.