Garden Work

The recent storms have left many garden structures in a parlous condition, if not blown down altogether

The recent storms have left many garden structures in a parlous condition, if not blown down altogether. Now is the time - before the garden fills up again with vegetation - to re-erect, repair and tidy up. It's also a good time (if the weather is not too foul) to do a bit of heavy labour, such as putting in a rockery, digging a new bed or building a wall. Not only can you see what you are doing, but if you get it finished soon, all scars should be healed after a month or two of growth.

If the ground is not waterlogged or frozen, continue to divide and replant herbaceous perennials, except for ornamental grasses, which should wait until mid- or late-spring. Plant deciduous, rootballed trees and shrubs during mild spells, but not conifers or other evergreens the roots of which will remain fairly dormant for another month or two. Planting too early puts them under unnecessary stress.