December in the garden
Late Autumn planting
While the ground is still warm it is still possible to plant bulbs, roses, fruit, trees and shrubs.
The window for Autumn planting ends when the frost arrive, usually at the end of the year, and it’s important to keep newly-planted plant’s well-watered until the ground freezes so they get a good start before going into full dormancy during Winter.
Using mycorrhizal fungi, we sell Empathy Rootgrow. The fungi attaches itself to the roots of the rose and stimulates much stronger root growth for longer lasting, better performing plants. It also helps the soil recover if you’re planting a rose where one use to be. Mycorrhizal fungi can be used when planting most plants.
Feed the birds
Birds can’t rely on worms and fruits in the winter for food. Instead they turn to seeds, and that’s something you as their human neighbour can help them stock up on. Make sure to place the bird feeder in a spot that’s sheltered from strong winds.
It’s so rewarding to feed the garden birds and now is the time to start to regularly feed them, as temperatures start to fall. Visit our garden bird food and care section for ideas.
Lawns
Avoid walking on your lawn when it’s blanketed by heavy frost or snow, as this damages the grass.
If it’s a mild winter, continue to cut the lawn as it grows, but raise the height of the mower blades.
Spike lawns with a garden fork to improve drainage and aeration.
Keep clearing leaves off the lawn to let the light in and prevent dead patches appearing.
Send your lawnmower and shears to be serviced and sharpened while they’re less in demand.
Sustainable gardening
Every garden has the potential to become a beautiful, natural space that plays a crucial role in improving and supporting the wellbeing of both people, wildlife and the planet.
‘During the pandemic people have appreciated their gardens to a greater degree than ever and have become more aware of wildlife, so they are increasingly keen to learn more about gardening and in gardening to enhance the environment’ say the RHS. ‘Happily it is neither difficult nor expensive to get greater benefit from gardens without harming the planet.’
Water conservation is a crucial aspect of sustainable gardening. Rainwater harvesting involves collecting and storing rainwater for use in your garden, reducing reliance on mains water sources. Install rain water butts or a rainwater collection system to capture water from your roof or other surfaces. Use this harvested water to irrigate your plants, saving resources and reducing your water bill. Additionally, adopt efficient irrigation methods like drip irrigation, soaker hoses, or hand-watering to minimize water waste and deliver water directly to the plants’ roots.
And finally, because it’s nearly Christmas…
Choosing your real Christmas tree
Christmas tree care starts in the planning phase before you’ve bought your tree as you’ll need to decide where you want to put it, then choose a Christmas tree that’s the right height, width and type for you. The location you choose should be away from heat sources such as radiators and fires and ideally close to a wall plug socket if you will be looking to have lights on your tree. Corners can be a good place as this keeps your tree out of the way of knocks and bumps and allows you to choose the best side of the Christmas tree to display. Once you’ve decided on a location in (or outside) of the home, use a tape measure to size up the space you have available and note down the dimensions.
If you’re looking to visit a nursery or Christmas tree farm to choose your tree, don’t forget to take the tape measure with you so you can check your preferred tree is actually the right fit. Alternatively, if you are looking to order a Christmas tree online for delivery from our Staffordshire nursery, include the measurements in the comments when you place the order and we’ll pick the perfect tree for you. Avoid the temptation of choosing a tree that’s taller than what you really need as you’ll just end up having to cut off part of the base and potentially remove some of the lower branches, which may spoil the shape of your tree.
Nordmann Fir – the most popular type of tree in the UK with thick, soft, glossy needles that are dark green on the top and blue-green on the underside. Renowned for holding onto its needles the best of all Christmas trees, so you won’t need to worry about cleaning up needles over the festive period, particularly if you want to install your tree in early December. The Nordman Fir is an unscented tree with a wide base to accommodate lots of presents and its soft needles makes it child and pet friendly.
Norway Spruce – the traditional Christmas tree with short and thin, generally lighter green pointed needles. It has a broad base but with a more triangular shape and attractive red-brown bark and a bushy habit. The Norway has a rich, coniferous fragrance and is the best value for any given height or size of tree. Needle retention is weaker than the Nordman Fir but can be minimised by placing your tree well away from radiators and other sources of heat and keeping it in plenty of fresh water.
Storing your Christmas tree before you're ready to put it up in the home
Keep your Christmas tree in a cool, sheltered, dry place until you’re ready to bring it into the house. If you won’t be setting up your tree in the home on the same day, take off any netting and saw off one inch (2.5cm) from the bottom of the trunk. Make the cut perpendicular to the tree stem, going straight across. Do not cut a “v” shape out of the base or drill holes into the bottom of the trunk; this does not aid water absorption in any way and will just make it more difficult to keep your tree straight when putting it into the stand later. Make the cut with a saw with large “teeth” – don’t try to use an axe which is likely to split the tree vertically. The reason for cutting off an inch at the bottom of the trunk is because when trees are cut, sap oozes out and hardens within about 5 hours when not in water, creating a seal and preventing further water absorption even when put in water again. You can ask the nursery or Christmas tree farm to make the cut for you if it won’t take you long to get home.
We recommend laying down a Christmas tree skirt, some tarpaulin or even some Christmas themed paper before bringing your tree into the home. This will protect from any water that escapes whilst you’re topping up your Christmas tree stand over the coming weeks and help capture any needles falling from your tree. If your Christmas tree skirt fits over the cradle, you can still place a water barrier underneath the cradle and apply the Christmas tree skirt after your tree has been mounted. This will prevent pets from attempting to drink the water in the base as well as making your tree more presentable.
Before bringing your tree into the house, double-check that the water level where it’s been standing hasn’t fallen below the bottom of the trunk for more than 5 hours and, if it has, saw off another 1 inch (2.5cm) from the bottom of the trunk, cutting straight across perpendicular to the trunk, as described above. You can choose to buy a special Painted Christmas tree stand or Stained Christmas tree stand to secure the base of the tree and provide watering space. Alternatively, you can opt for the traditional, tried and tested but rougher approach of using a bucket filled with small rocks or wood, by putting the base of your tree in first, then filling around the trunk with rocks or wooden logs.
Whatever approach you choose, make sure the tree is well secured and stable and do not chop chunks of bark off the side of the tree just to make it fit into your stand because it’s the outer layer that provides most of the water absorption. We recommend two people set up the Christmas tree, so one can fix the base whilst the other holds the tree stable. Before you start decorating, ensure the tree is sitting straight as it’ll be far easier to fix at this point rather than later. Allow at least a couple of hours for the tree to “settle” into shape before decorating.
We are supporting a tree collection programme, Treecycle, which is organised by Primrose Hospice, which provides vital support to those who need it. To book your collection visit www.primrosehospice.org, or phone 01527 88979.
Our opening times over Christmas
Christmas Eve 8:00am – 4:00pm
Christmas Day CLOSED
Boxing Day CLOSED
December 27th 9:00am – 4:00pm
December 28th 9:00am – 4:00pm
December 29th 9:00am – 4:00pm
December 30th 9:00am – 4:00pm
December 31st 9:00am – 4:00pm
New Years Day CLOSED
January 2nd 8:00am – 4:00pm
From all at Singletons Nurseries and The Potting Shed Tearooms, we wish you and your families a wonderful Christmas, and a happy and healthy 2024 🎄