Mike Palmer explains how to make your garden work for you.
I love the start of January with the promise and excitement of another great gardening season ahead. But for me, there’ll be no New Year’s resolutions about losing the few extra pounds that I’ve undoubtedly put on over the festive period. Oh no, any resolutions I make are going to be geared towards making my garden, my precious outdoor space, the best it has ever been, and I just know I’ll not be the only one. And so this month you’ll find me taking advantage of the cold, wet, dark days of mid-winter to sit in a cosy armchair and plan and ponder some exciting changes for 2024. Changes for my garden, and also the way that I garden. But, where to start?
The planning process can appear bewildering at times, especially on social media with a seemingly never-ending feed of glorious plants winking seductively at us and perfectly primped gardens making us all feel more than a little inadequate. Worry not, here are my more accessible and down-to-earth tips to help you ensure that both you and your garden stand proud in 2024.
1. Make it your garden
This is singularly the most important thing for all of us to remember. No matter the size, shape and orientation of your garden, you are the custodian of your plot. It is yours to do with as you see fit, to grow the plants and the crops that you like and want to grow, not that you feel you should, just because others are. Who cares that your choices haven’t been seen strutting their floral or fruity fabulousness at the Chelsea Flower Show? If you’re happy with your plant choices, then that’s all that counts. And who knows, they may just be sitting quietly, waiting for their turn to ‘trend’ at some point in the future, when you’ll be able to pat yourself on the back as a gardening trailblazer! Speaking of ‘trends’, throw away the rulebook and choose stunning colours and colour combinations that you love, and which make you smile, trending or not.
2. Enjoy yourself in the process
Gardening is a wonderfully enjoyable and mindful pastime, hobby, or even career for some of us. It allows us to connect intimately with the natural world. I love sharing my garden with the visiting wildlife, a plethora of pollinators, a soil crammed with earthworms, and even the screeching Bournemouth gulls overhead have their place! I revel in growing the trees, plants and shrubs that make me so happy, especially when they’re behaving themselves and doing what I want of them! But it’s all too easy, at times, to forget to enjoy it laden as we often are with long and exacting ‘to do’ lists. So let’s all make a New Year’s resolution to sit down for at least 10minutes every day in our gardens, with a cuppa, and soak in and appreciate the beauty of the spaces that we’ve created. Go on, you’re worth it.
3. Learn from your mistakes
I’ve gardened for more years than I dare to admit to, but even now, I still make mistakes. We all do. You know what though, mistakes are great, because they provide us with the opportunity to explore what went wrong and why. So, embrace gardening blunders, and see them as a positive in learning how to become a better gardener and plants-person. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions; there really is no such thing as a silly question. Whilst I love the opportunity to answer a gardening question, I’m still definitely not beyond asking a question or three about something I don’t know or a horticultural hiccup I’ve made.
4. Don’t be afraid to experiment
Gardening is a very creative, often artistic pastime and we all have our own way of putting plants together, propagating plants and designing areas within the garden. So be brave and experiment with innovative new ideas or ways of doing things. If I had a pound foreach time somebody tells me that they propagate a plant differently to how I do it, I’d be a very rich man. If it works for you, go with it. Try new plant combinations or outrageous, clashing colour schemes. Push the boundaries and try a plant in a new location; you may well be very surprised at how it grows. Remember, plants don’t read the books that we write about where they grow best. The natural world is often full of surprises and ultimately knows best.
5. Explore exciting new plants
There’s an incredible and extensive selection of plants for us gardeners to buy as we wander around our local garden centres (every weekend without fail, I hope!). Each year I try out at least one or two new plants, which is sometimes difficult as there’s not much room left! But that aside, I’ll pick something a little unusual, or perhaps a little different. How about trying one (or all) of the following suggestions which I’ve met and loved in recent years:
- Rhodohypoxis baurii-a diminutivealpine for full sun in a well-drained soil.
- Allium schubertii– a dramatic, floral explosion for sunny borders or pots.
- Miscanthus sinensis ‘Zebrinus’– a graceful, deciduous grass with zebra-like cream bands on its leaves.
6. Plant for wellbeing and mindfulness
We live in a frantic, crazy, and at times, troubled world. We rush to and from work, to the supermarket, and at this time of year, to meet up with friends, family, and loved ones. Our gardens can be the perfect haven in which to unwind, relax and be at peace with ourselves. Research indicates that gardening or just being in a garden lowers blood pressure, relieves stress and improves concentration, which in turn leaves us both physically and mentally healthier. I adore scented plants around me when I’m working in my garden, and no matter what time of year, there’s a plant which fits the bill. Winter honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima), and orange, yellow or red Witch Hazels (Hamamelis x intermedia) are amongst my favourites
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