Jobs for December 2024

[MereDintofPandiculation]

The garden is “dormant” but there’s still masses to do.

My list is: cut the hedges before nesting season starts again, prune roses, apples, and anything else that needs heavy pruning rather than a light trim. Insulate the greenhouse with bubble foam.

I need to sweep all the leaves up, there's so many that I can't see the steps leading up to our decking, empty the plant pots and store them away as well as cut back some overhanging branches. I need to fix one of the bird feeders after it fell down recently, also refill it.

There may be a storm coming over the UK around the 7th/8th with 60mph gusts inland so I want to get the garden all done before that. Hopefully the weather radar will change but just in case, I want to have everything tidied and secured

Hopefully the storm will clear the leaves for you 😅 I’m struggling with the leaf clearing, it might not get done. I need to prune the apple tree, I think the first gardeners world special episode showed us how to do that. I’m revamping a flower bed slowly as my energy levels are low, but I’m only putting in what I know works in my garden this time. Fed up with failures.

RHS advice is now to clear leaves off paths but they can be left on flower beds as a mulch. Jury seems to be out on lawns. Leaf clearing is less of a chore now it’s sweep it to the nearest flower bed rather than carry it all to the end of the garden.

Jury seems to be out on lawns

I think it depends on the type and density of leaf cover. If we don't take the fallen dogwood leaves off the top corner of our lawn - which is shady and inclined to moss - there wouldn't be any grass there come spring.

Elsewhere a light scattering of smaller leaves is neither here nor there.

It’s so mild this year. I still have pelargoniums flowering outside so I suppose I need to do something with them.

I take it you're south west, we've had good frosts in the north west!

We’ve had one or two frosts but I was outdoors in a vest yesterday! Yes, SW Wales.

I usually clear up any leaves , put down a winter lawn fertiliser, tiday up garage / shed, give mower a clean down