Winter

The colder weather may curb your enthusiasm for the outdoors but there’s still plenty of things you can do to keep your garden looking its best, not to mention the added health and well-being benefits that gardening naturally brings! Here are our favourite ways to enjoy the garden during the winter months.

Stock up on seeds

Whether you looking to grow your own this year, or wanting to plant something new, we have an abundance of seeds for you to chose from.

  • Before you start, check the packets of your existing seeds for their best before date.
  • Plan the type of plants or vegetables you would like to grow and where.
  • Once you have chosen your seeds, sort them into two piles – ones that can be sown directly outdoors and those that will need to be started inside. Organise them into the date in which they are sown, creating yourself a schedule.
  • Ensure you have enough seed trays and seed compost, we have lots to chose from here at Root One.

Feeding the birds

We mustn’t forget our feathered friends this winter. Once the berries have gone, they will need food to keep them going over winter.

  • Use a bird table to hang feeders filled with seeds and nuts. We stock a large selection in our glasshouse to suit your requirements.
  • Birds require high fat food during the cold winter months to help them survive the frosty nights. We recommend Fat Snax balls.
  • Ensure that you limit the amount of food you put out and dispose of any uneaten food.

Create Winter Colour in the Garden

Of course there is always a good reason to visit a garden centre but at this time of year there some specific wonder plants to be on the look out for, from Hellebores to Witch-Hazels, and from Skimmias to sweet-scented Sarcococcas. Its also a great time to buy hedging plants. At this time of year, and right through to March, these can be bought bare-root, and considerable savings can be made this way if you are contemplating a new beech hedge, for example, or a native hedgerow mix to encourage wildlife, or a formal border edging plant like box. Just ask a member of staff for details.

Here are some of our favourite plants to make your garden stand out during the colder
months.

Hellebores

Hellebores offer a beautiful display of flowers from late February though until late April.  There is an amazing number of varieties of Hellebore now available with a wide spectrum of colours to choose from – pinks and whites and greens, reds and almost black! A most welcome sight in late Winter and early Spring as the Winter still has hold over most garden plants.

Sarcococca varieties

The leaves of this plant are a glossy, rich green and highly scented flowers in Winter are followed by spherical berries that ripen to black. Tough and tolerant of most conditions, these plants are especially valuable for shadier areas.

Nandina Domestica

Add some instant colour and drama to your doorstep with a vibrant Nandina Domestica, also known as Heavenly Bamboo. It’s a slow growing perennial that offers deep red foliage during the Winter months.

Leucothoe fontanesiana ‘Little Flames’

Add a touch of warmth and colour to your garden with the Leucothoe fontanesiana, a particular favourite of ours is the ‘Little Flames’ variety. It requires little maintenance and grows best in full sun or semi shade.

Skimmia japonica ‘Rubella’

This compact evergreen shrub features beautiful dark red flowers buds through the Autumn and the Winter until the flowers open in Spring. It’s a good choice for filling in any gaps in a border.

Primrose

The perfect choice for instant colour for your borders, containers or Winter hanging baskets. These traditional fully frost-hardy plants will survive the harshest of British winters.

Pansies and Violas 

Pansies and Violas are perfect for achieving instant colour in Autumn in pot and borders. Regularly deadheading is key to ensure the best flowering.  They won’t sing and dance on especially foul days but they are tough little survivors and will come out to play as soon as a little warmth returns!