Escape from Christmas stress and into the garden

In the garden
The garden can be a double edged sword in Christmas week, with all the seemingly essential tasks and unnecessary pressure taking us away from what needs to be done outside.
It can also be an escape from the stress of trying not to offend relatives whilst negotiating the tightrope of complex family dynamics.
A truism of gardening is that there is always something to do. This gives you every opportunity and excuse to nip outside if things are getting too much.
It’s time for a mid winter spruce all round in the flower beds, rake out dead matter, tie in and support climbers, shrubs and trees and protect plants from future frosts. Have a walk round and whilst foliage is missing check the skeleton of the garden and see what you might need to add to give some colour and interest until the spring bulbs and lambs appear in the fields. Dogwood, ‘Mid winter fire’ is a quick and easy plant to give bright red streaks when the cupboard is bare while winter flowering clematis brightens everything up. Winter berry holly is unusual as it loses its leaves but keeps bright scarlet berries that can look like a volcano eruption out of snow covered ground.
Hellebores will soon be showing their pretty petals and the grasses will be sparkling in early morning frosts. Winter colour is very much in the eye of the beholder and you can miss uplifting sights if you re not open to them. Bejewelled grass and seedheads are among the most intricate patterns in the garden if only we go out and see them close up.
If you’re raking leaves off the lawn, turn it into a scarifying job by criss-crossing over any mossy patches and disrupting growth. Moss dislikes sunlight and anything that assists drainage so throw down some sharp sand on there while you’re at it. If you go over it with the garden fork you are almost guaranteed a decent moss free lawn next summer.
On the plot
Do not let the Christmas holidays pass by without planting Jerusalem artichokes as long as the ground isn't frozen solid.
They are incredibly low maintenance and as long as you put in the Fuseau variety then you won’t have the problem of peeling knobbly tubers.
Once planted about six inches/15cm underground in any soil they will force themselves upwards with strong stems which can be as thick as a child’s wrist given some water and the occasional mulch of grass cuttings.
Each tuber will give you a heavy crop of plump artichokes and even if you don’t like them you can let them flower instead and next August you will have pretty yellow miniature sunflowers at the top of each ten foot tall stem.
Broad beans and lambs lettuce can be planted outside now whilst mustard greens can be planted indoors for an early crop.
I often forget to plant celeriac indoors at this time of year as it needs a long growing season and plenty of water. Celeriac must never dry out. It is effectively a plant that likes swamp like conditions so will die very quickly without moisture.
If it is cold and you need a shed shaped bolt hole to get back to reality then draw the plan for next year’s plot and how things need to rotate this year.
You can then treat yourself to replace the presents you didn't get by ordering all the seeds you need for your plan.
Don’t forget to select a few heirloom varieties and have a look at some smaller independent seed companies for unusual and off piste vegetables you haven't grown before but might enjoy eating. That is the whole point, after all.
Hopefully, Christmas will be a restful time with loved ones but if not there’s always the garden.