Gardening with Pat Duke

In the Garden

When snow is forecast it always makes me reach for the poppy seeds and marvel at the wonder of nature knowing that even broadcasting them directly on the white stuff will lead to a clump of billowing colour that will then self seed for generations to come. Sometimes we have to do very little even in the most hostile of conditions for nature to thrive. Many people give the excuse of a ‘nature garden’ or the creation of a ‘wild garden’ when they actually mean they ve been busy doing other things. We all know the truth but usually agree it's a good thing.

In order to beat the January blues, just get out there and stroll around and jobs will appear. There’s always something to do in any garden. Even planting seeds in freezing conditions is possible. While we can experience some spring-like days in January, we’re not there yet but it’s a great time to plant seeds under cover, particularly those that have a long growing season. 

Antirrhinhums (or snapdragons) for example can take five months to reach maturity and hang around a while, so don’t be without them. I've found they like the extra security and warmth of a plastic bag over the seed tray until they germinate and become established seedlings. Sow more than you need as they are tremendous for filling small gaps in the beds with a variety of colour when June arrives. 

Antirrinhum majus ‘Bizarre hybrids’ has a purple ripple effect like molten larva pouring over the centre of the petals. If you want a more demure cloud, then Antirrinhum majus ‘Chantilly white F1’ variety is a pure white dress shirt affair with ripped and torn edges to the petals giving it some angular definition rather than the duller flat rounded edges. Doing this kind of task in the greenhouse or indoors always feels a bit like beating the system, getting soil under your nails and planting seeds when all around is a tundra landscape. 

On the Plot  

It's also sowing time for edible plants that take a while to grow and also ones that you might want two crops out of. Sowing early under glass or indoors starts now. I doubt there’s much more you could be doing indoors instead that’s as productive. Onions, leeks, carrots, broad beans and Swiss card can be sown now. Get them poking up above ground for a head start and you'll have something for the plate before everyone else. Even tomatoes can be sown indoors in trays or pots if you have the room to spare. Chillies need to be started off now too as they don’t rely on the light so much early on in their life cycle as they do later in the season. 

It’s not all exciting sowing, there’s still the pedestrian ongoing task of keeping the hungry pigeons and blackbirds off brassicas by mending and re-mending netting once they've worked out the scarecrow is not real. 

Dare I say it, and I know it’s still January, but potatoes can be chitted in a shed with a window to give them a head start and to make sure any growth is vertical which can maximise tuber development at the first hurdle. I know you can literally throw a potato in the hedge and it will produce food but it’s surprising what a difference just a modicum of gentle nurturing makes when harvest time comes around. Get them shooting now while there’s some compost in the bin readying itself to go underneath them. 

Even though there could well be a white out with muffled footprints and sober looking weather presenters there’s still optimism and positive work to be done in the garden with one eye on the warmer months and thinking about the exuberant emotion that spring rolls in with.