From the Archive

Garden Talk

Winter is time for patience, clearing up the debris and good for browsing seed catalogues says Cecilia Cran

What to grow: 

This month I’m all about planning, preparation and most of all…patience. 

I’m checking out seed catalogues, looking back at what worked well in the garden last year and what I want to plant again, leaving behind the things that didn’t earn their keep and carefully planning how I want my summer garden to look and feel. 

Maintaining the garden through the less hospitable months is important and worth it when it comes to planting out summer flowering seeds. Make sure that leaves, branches and any other debris is cleared away. Otherwise, pests and diseases can make themselves at home, which is what you want to avoid and stores up more work in the long term. It may seem like a thankless task, but managing your garden through winter will pay dividends through the spring and summer. 

Alongside garden maintenance, this month I’m planting Scilla Siberica bulbs. This is the latest I would look to put them in, but as a hardy perennial, I’m confident they’ll get through the winter and bring beautiful colour to the garden come March next year. Bees also love these nectar rich plants, so you’ll help encourage some wildlife to your garden too!

How to grow:

To get started, choose whether you will be planting them in a pot or the ground. Both work well. For the purposes of this, I’ll refer to planting in the ground (but the same rules apply).

Choose the spot you want to put them, plant them around 8cm deep, in well-drained soil, spot that gets sunshine.

Once you have chosen your planting spot and dug the area. Add some grit to the soil– this will provide good drainage. Also consider adding in some organic matter and mixing in some peat free compost too, this will make the soil nice and fertile and give the bulbs all the nutrients they need to produce strong stems up to about 15cm tall and their delicate little blue, bell-shaped blooms.

Bulbs must be planted with the pointed tip facing upwards towards the sky and must be planted to the right depth and spacing – see above. Once the bulbs have been planted, gently press down on the top of soil to ensure the bulbs will be making contact with the soil and then water.

Photo by Cecilia Cran

Green escape: Beckton District Park and Lake

This is a superb spot to enjoy East London’s finest flora and fauna. The park has a well equipped children’s playground and a good size playing field to kick a football around in. 

Alongside the park, there is a huge lake, which is home to an impressive water bird population – you’ll see swans, geese, ducks, coots and moorhens amongst others. The lake is flanked by beautiful weeping willows, as well as a fabulous array of other trees showing off their vibrant autumnal colours, along with a great mix of other interesting plants, shrubs and trees.

Unfortunately, it seems like what was once a café is now closed. But there are lots of benches in the park and spots to sit if you want to bring your own flask of something warm – sit and soak up the atmosphere. It’s funny how even in the heart of East London, it can feel like you’re in the middle of the countryside – bliss! 


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