Keep your garden in good condition

Over the coming weeks keep clearing fallen leaves from around the garden, particularly the lawn, and have some rocksalt at the ready to spread over paths and steps as you work around the garden.

Try and not walk on the grass as you may damage the roots; and do not cut you grass too short. Grass should be left about an inch and a half long over winter.

I have had a note from a reader telling me that deer are causing a nuisance in his garden and are doing untold damage to his plants. Deer usually visit very early in the morning, usually accompanied with their young family. But I believe that they do not like the colour white. Perhaps painting a fence white will help to deter them.

If you have not already done so I would apply a winter feed to your grass as this contains low nitrogen and high potash and that help your grass during winter.

Moving indoors, look at all your house plants and whatever you do keep watering to low volumes, as too much water can kill house plants.

Also check the location of your house plants, making sure they are not sitting on or near heat sources. The exceptions are cacti and succulents, both of which do not need water during winter.

Should you find leaves of any plants turning brown my advice is to remove the brown leaves and consign them to the compost bin.

Over the days and weeks ahead plan to secure provision of any special plants you might want for the festive season.

Tick Magic is back

After having been sold out over the last week or so, Cardwell Garden Centre has run out of stock of this great product and a number of readers have been asking me about it.

But the good news is that more stock is on the way and should be available over the coming week. This product which is produced in Scotland is able to treat both ticks and midges and even at this time of year ticks are still about.

Ticks, if not treated quickly, can develop into a more serious disease and I notice that some pharmacies are displaying notices showing what to look for and how to identify the symptoms iF you suspect you have been bitten by a tick.

The Tick Magic is available at Cardwell Garden Centre by asking for it at the till

Growing in raised beds

While spending some time watching a programme on television last week I saw some raised beds being shown which were just one metre square, which is similar to my own. These beds are ideal for growing vegetables or flowers and the easy way to dig these is to be able to reach the soil or compost from any angle.

There is one way that can be adopted and that is to adopt the 'no dig' principle which has been immortalised by Charles Dowding. He has written several books on this subject. Charles has intensively cropped quarter acre plots of no dig beds which are mulched with compost. Charles explains in his books and videos how to gain increased harvests.

Apart from saving your back with lots of digging much benefit is derived from increased harvests so it is well worth thinking about taking up this method of gardening. Charles can be contacted via his website www. charlesdowding.co.uk

Some uses of herbs

Various herbs can be used in a number of different ways including herb butter, herb oil and herb vinegar while other herbs can be utilised in preparing pot-pourri and in a herb pillow. Some herbs produce flowers which can be used to decorate and/or add flavour to salads and cold dishes.

Herbal tea can be made by steeping herb leaves and flowers in water with unfermented plant material. Indeed, mint and chamomile are some favourites of making herbal tea.

Bulbs for planting now

Spring bulbs can be planted over the next few weeks although Hyacinths for Christmas flowering need to have been planted about a month ago and plunged into a dark area for a period of about six to eight weeks.

Tulip bulbs should not be planted for another month or the soil may become contaminated and the bulbs may die.

A useful bulb to plant at this time is Garlic which is easy to grow and is not affected any pests and is frost hardy.

A great winter food

Once upon a time kale, which is a member of the cabbage family, was a staple food of many crofters and country folk. But over the years it's use dwindled to near extinction.

Indeed, kale is a hybrid of the cabbage and turnip family and even in the days of Robert Burns it was being cooked on the fire in the room were our national bard entered the world.

Kale is a useful source of winter and spring. The Cinderella status of kale seems surprising when one considers that it is frost-hardy and will not be destroyed by poor weather nor pests, unlike cabbage plants.

Kale can be grown from seed and when the young seedlings germinate the seedlings can be pricked out into cell trays and grown on until ready for planting out.

Kale tends to taste a bit bitter but it is of great benefit in winter broth - just a few leaves - or can be boiled and eaten as a vegetable just as one would with cabbage.

It is best to grow kale in a sunny spot and the soil should be free from weeds and free-draining and it is best to rake in some fertiliser too.

If the soil is strongly acidic then rake in some garden lime. The soil should not be loose or spongy at planting time and this is very important.