Sussex Exclusive Magazine Issue 6 2023

GARDENING
In the Garden
Preparing your Garden for Winter,
Christmas & the New Year Beyond
GARDENING
Top: Allium Schubertii
while flowering and great when dried
too. Schubertii is a bulbous perennial
producing bright-green, strap-shaped
leaves in spring, which die back before
the flowers appear. These consist of 50
or more star-shaped, pinky-purple florets
on stems of differing lengths producing
a starburst effect up to 30 cm across. So
maybe this month is a good time to plant
some in your garden for great results in
2024 and beyond!
than the packet advises. If, like me, you
want a full display, there’s nothing worse
than a few sparse stems. Just make sure
the bulbs are not touching, leaving a
centimetre or two between them. Tulips
don’t like to sit around in soggy soil, so
do make sure there is good drainage at the
bottom of the pot. Remember to cover
them with at least twice their depth of soil
or compost! The effort put in now will
pay dividends next year!
November is here, the
clocks have gone back,
leaves are falling and it
will inevitably get colder
and wetter. As autumn
turns to winter, the main jobs in the
garden are mostly about protecting plants
and structures from the usual wilder
weather, ideally moving plants into the
greenhouse, or into a sheltered spot, but
if you can't, it is worth wrapping them.
Remember, winter can be a tough time
for birds too, in terms of water and food,
so keep supplies well topped up.
If you love a blast of colour with tulips
in the spring, then now is the time
to plant your bulbs in containers and
borders to guarantee that amazing display.
November is also the month many of us
celebrate Bonfire Night at group events
or maybe let off a few special fireworks in
the garden.
Fireworks in the garden
In addition to firing off some fireworks
in the garden, there are quite a few plants
that are very reminiscent of fireworks.
One in particular, Allium Schubertii,
is the firework allium par excellence,
with vast wonderful dark pink, spiky
flowers. It is very eccentric and showy
Another firework inspired planting might
be Pennisetum setaceum 'Fireworks'
(rueppllii) which makes a lively addition
to bedding displays and patio containers.
The fluffy seed heads can be also cut to
make elegant dried flowers. The colourful
foliage of this fountain grass emerges with
bold stripes of red, pink and green, before
maturing to a rich shade of burgundy.
From mid-summer to autumn, the showy
purple flower spikes rise above the arching
foliage in a spectacular architectural
“bonfire” display.
Tulips
If you have not got around to planting
your tulip bulbs, it’s not too late to get
it done. November is the perfect month.
Don’t be afraid to cram more in the pot
You can get such a wide variety of
different tulip blooms, like stunning
parrot tulips. Why, you might ask do they
have that name? There is one school of
thought that believes it's because of their
feathered petals. Another believes it may
be for the shape of the bloom, which
looks like a parrot's beak, whatever the
reason they are beautiful flowers to add to
your garden.
Feeding the birds this winter!
Whilst many of us probably buy bird food
to put out in the garden, if you have some
extra time on your hands and need to
occupy fed up children in the run up to
the festive season, why not have a go and
make your own special Christmas tree for
any feathered friends around your plot?
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