Gardening
Reflecting on the Garden and Planting for the Year Ahead
Cold weather has slowly drifted in, bringing grey skies with few hours of sunlight, winds have torn most of the brilliant autumn leaves from the trees leaving dark skeletal outlines, frosts have begun to do their work, breaking up the soil and killing off garden pests. The mild, damp days have opened up the soil making it a perfect time to plant before temperatures fall and heavy frosts again restrict cultivation. The clear frosty days are perfect for pruning; wounds will seal more quickly preventing disease entering the plant’s vascular system.
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November 2020
October has been warm with heavy rain and the occasional storm. Weeds and grass are still growing strong though the buffeting winds have damaged petals, tall ornamental grasses and those perennials with architectural seed heads. Trees and shrubs are colouring beautifully and many are abundant with berries, nuts and fruits, said to predict a cold winter. The fruiting forms of fungi grow especially well in warm, damp conditions at this time of year, emerging rapidly from the main body of the organism hidden beneath the soil or in dead matter. They can be seen in an extraordinary diversity of forms, textures and colours in woodlands, parks, verges, gardens and fields. A wonderful time for a woodland walk.
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Bountiful October
Early September has been unusually warm, peacock and small tortoiseshell butterflies have used the opportunity to feed on nectar plants, preparing for winter hibernation in sheds and outhouses. The damp weather later in the month has drawn earthworms to the surface, aerating the soil and bringing plant nutrients to the surface. Plants have suffered from the dry summer but cooler, wetter weather will help them revive.
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September In The Garden
This summer, due to issues surrounding travelling abroad and the depravations of lockdown, many people have chosen to explore the wilder parts of the British countryside. It’s encouraging that people are taking an interest in nature but there have been problems. Tents, sleeping bags and other debris left in beauty spots after wild camping, inadvertent fires started with throw away barbeques, wild plants pulled up to decorate dens, fragile habitats trampled on and rubbish left everywhere. People should be able to enjoy the countryside but awareness and education is needed too. We all need to understand that habitats and biodiversity in our overcrowded island are at risk and need protection, that it is illegal and damaging to dig up wild plants and that rubbish is a hazard to wildlife and farm animals. It’s time to talk to your friends and family about protecting our environment. It can be distilled into a very simple maxim, “take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints.”
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Abundant August
In dry weather the August garden can look listless. Earlier summer plants are on the wane and those that flower into the autumn may not yet have bloomed, but there are repeat flowering plants and drought tolerant species bringing colour and interest to the fading greens of late summer.
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Summer Cheer, July Is Here
June has brought a mixture of beautiful, warm, dry, sunny weather and heavy, thundery rain. The soil has recovered from the May drought and there is moisture even at lower levels. Both plants and competing weeds have benefitted from this, putting on growth and producing flowers and fruits.
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June Blooms
After a warm and beautiful April, May had a week of unseasonally cold weather. In southern England, particularly in urban areas, it’s quite normal to plant out tender annuals and vegetables in early May, this year many plants and budding fruits have been damaged or killed by the late frost. Some will just have had their tips singed or blossoms damaged so reducing the fruit crop. Smaller or more delicate plants may have been completely destroyed. Additionally the high winds in late May this year caused drying and stress to plants, they’ve been through a rough month. Once the weather is calmer again, feed and water may help them recover but some may be lost and need replacing.
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Blooming May
After months of rain, April has been sunny and warm with few April showers. Lack of rain means the soil has dried out and plants have become stressed to the extent that irrigation has been necessary. However bees, butterflies, moths and damselflies have all been enjoying the weather and emerging from hibernation, pupae or larva to bask in the spring sunshine.
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Unfurling April
March has brought a change in the months of wet weather. Milder, drier days have encouraged bumblebees and butterflies to emerge, hungry for nectar and to bask in the sun. The resonant dawn chorus signals the pairing of birds, nest building and egg laying and tadpoles have broken out of their spawning areas to feed on fast growing pondweed. The ground, that has been wet for months, is drying out and perfect for cultivating. Gardening, being outside in whatever outdoor space you have, is good exercise and good for mental health too, when we are all facing the difficult times brought about by the Coronavirus pandemic.
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March Springs Into Season
February has been unrelentingly wet and windy. The ground is saturated and mud is everywhere. Prolonged periods of soil saturation will reduce the level of oxygen accessible to plants leaving them vulnerable to rotting roots, yellowing leaves and eventually death. Curiously excess moisture in the soil can also reduce water uptake leading to further stress. Emerging spring bulbs and blossoms are damaged by the weather too. Blossoms are ripped from their branches, petals torn from their stems and those that remain brown and rot in the inclement weather. Putting up wind barriers, fencing and hedging and staking vulnerable plants will provide some protection from wind. Improving drainage by adding compost and manure or digging in horticultural sand will improve drainage in waterlogged soils. Raising planted pots on feet will allow excess water to escape and help prevent root rot.
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Preparing for Spring
This winter there have been few frosty days, in general the weather has been mild and wet. Warm winters can confuse plants into flowering earlier. In some places daffodils and primroses can be seen opening beside the more seasonal snowdrops. This type of weather can adversely affect bees. In cold winters they remain under cover, huddling together to generate warmth, in mild weather they will be temped outside to forage and run the risk of being drowned in the rain. Confused birds are heard singing throughout the day, setting out their territories and preparing to nest, frogs too have been seen coming out of hibernation and attempting to mate. The weather has disrupted the normal seasonal rhythms.
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New Life in the Garden
During this last mild wet December an overall gloom prevailed, heavy cloud decreased the already low light and the ground was quickly reduced to mud. Mild Decembers can prevent the dormancy that is designed to protect plants from harsh winter weather leaving them vulnerable to cold snaps. Newly planted, shallow rooted trees are more vulnerable to being uprooted by winter storms in wet soil.
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Winter Gardening
A mild and very wet November has left soils waterlogged. The lack of frosts has meant leaves and some colour remain but many plants have collapsed after being battered by the rain. Pests such as slugs and snails have continued to be active as the weather is still warm and both viruses and bacteria persist, not yet subdued by winter’s cold. Very wet soils can be damaged by active cultivation though the mild, damp conditions are good for planting. Any pruning should be left until a clear, frosty day as mild, damp conditions increase the possibility of disease entering a plant through the cut.
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Frost and Fungi
The warm, damp weather this October has left many late flowering perennials in bloom with grass and weeds still growing strong. Many trees and shrubs still hold their leaves though the dry summer caused an early drop, to reduce transpiration in some stressed plants. Fungi flourish in these warm, damp conditions. They can be found in an extraordinary diversity of form, texture and colour in woodlands, parks, verges, gardens and fields.
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Autumn Gardening
A warm September has seen increased numbers of red admiral butterflies, feeding on late flowering ivy and windfall fruit. Spiders have been at their most visible. Female spiders flock to make webs while males invade warm, dry sheds and houses to seek a mate, by mid October they will have begun their winter hibernation and are less evident. The late September rain will have replenished the parched ground, fed drought stricken plants and softened the earth for autumn plantings.
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September In The Garden
The extreme heat of late August will have stressed many garden plants. Learning to recognise the signs of stress such as wilting, pale foliage, patches of brown and yellow or dropped flowers and leaves will help you manage and revive plants in the aftermath a heat wave.
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Sweltering August
The extreme heat in July has been taxing for plants but encouraging for butterflies. A once in a decade influx of painted lady butterflies is expected around now in the UK.
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Summer's here kids
Plant growth reaches a peak and nectar is plentiful, enticing a wealth of butterflies, bees and other pollinators.
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Gardening joy in June
Gardens in June are a refuge for both people and wildlife but the truth is plastic is increasingly everywhere. It is a very functional product but in manufacturing and disposal is causing serious damage to the natural world. Tiny particles of plastic can be found in the deepest oceans and on pristine mountains. Watering cans, pots, netting, protective clothing can all contain plastic but there are many things we can all do to reduce its use in our own gardens.
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Marvellous May
April brought a panoply of weather: hot, cold, wet, dry, blustery, a confused variation for plants and wildlife. Much of the South East has had little heavy rain; the ground is parched and fissured despite the cold end to the month, so watering has been necessary even in this weather. Blossom has been tossed by the wind and stripped from the branches; some seedlings have struggled, growing up in the early April warmth only to be killed off by later frosts. Hopefully May will bring an end to the cold and more stable, warmer weather and steady growing will follow.
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April Blossoms
Lengthening days with showers and warm weather mean growth is rapid for both garden plants and weeds. A haze of green softens the winter silhouettes of trees and shrubs as leaves unfurl, intensifying throughout April to cover the branches with new foliage.
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Heralding Spring
March heralds the beginning of spring, days can be warm and balmy but the weather can also turn wintery, confusing and threatening plants and wildlife.
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February, Winter's End
As the month of February progresses, daylight hours become noticeably longer, it may still be bitterly cold but temperatures can increase, and tentative signs of spring begin to emerge. The longer days and watery sunlight encourage sap to rise, colouring the upper twigs on trees, from winter greys to purples, chestnut browns and olives.
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A New Year, A New Start
In January the full force of winter is with us and the weather can restrict gardening. Wet and frozen soil is difficult to dig and cultivation now can damage soil structure, so it’s a month to consider the year ahead, plan for summer and browse seed catalogues, working outside only when the days are more clement.
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Chill December
December is a time for reflection. Chilly, crisp and dark days herald the true beginnings of winter. The bare bones of the garden are exposed. Few leaves and fewer flowers, allow the structural plants to dominate. Evergreen plants, strong winter stems and attractive barks can bring welcome colour to an otherwise quiet, grey scene.
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Wild November
The nights are now drawing in, the days can be dull, temperatures are dropping, frosts sudden, gales and freezing rain possibilities, a challenge for both plants and wildlife in the garden. A final flourish of brilliant colour cloaks the trees before winds and rain bring down flurries of leaves to carpet the ground.
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Golden October
Autumn is now here and bringing, cooler days, misty mornings and mellow fruitfulness. Leaves have begun to colour, turning brilliant reds, golds and browns.
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Mellow September
As summer makes way for autumn, days shorten and temperatures are cooler. Colours in the garden are fading, while seeds and fruits ripen.
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Wildlife Ponds
Wetlands and ponds are a natural element of the British landscape; sadly they have been disappearing rapidly over the last 100 years mainly through drainage and of those remaining, many are polluted by agricultural and industrial run off. Garden ponds can help to replace the habitat that is still being lost.
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#GrowN22 Greenscaping the Westbury Banks Nature Reserve
Guest blog by Luke ‘Duke’ Newcombe about Greenscaping the Westbury Banks Nature Reserve
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Sultry August
Sultry summer days, heat haze, parched grass or torrential storms, the high summer mix. Swallows and house martins are beginning to gather in flocks before leaving for their migration to Africa to avoid the European winter.
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Balmy July
The long, warm, hazy days bring fields full of bright red poppies and verges dotted with ox eyed daisies; an abundance of flowering plants, swaying grasses, fragrant scents and wildlife to our gardens.
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Rose scented June
Towards midsummer the evenings lengthen, days are warmer, the sun is shining, time to sit out and enjoy the garden.
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Darling Buds of May
With blossoming hawthorn, May has arrived. The days are longer and warmer, growth everywhere is rapid, wildlife fills gardens with frantic activity.
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April Showers
Lengthening days with showers and warm weather mean growth is rapid for both garden plants and weeds.
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Spring is on the March
March heralds the beginning of spring, days can be warm and balmy but the weather can also turn wintry, confusing and threatening to plants and wildlife.
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February, winter's end
As the month of February progresses, daylight hours become noticeably longer, it may still be bitterly cold but temperatures can increase, and tentative signs of spring begin to emerge.
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Gardening in the coldest month
In January the full force of winter is with us and the weather can restrict gardening. Wet and frozen soil is difficult to dig and cultivation now can damage soil structure, so it’s a month to consider the year ahead.
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Chilly, crisp and dark - winter is finally here
December is a time for reflection. The bare bones of the garden are exposed. Few leaves and fewer flowers, allow the structural plants to dominate. Evergreen plants, strong winter stems and attractive barks can bring welcome colour to an otherwise quiet, grey scene.
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Remember, remember...
The nights are drawing in, the days are often dull, temperatures are dropping, frosts sudden, gales and freezing rain possibilities, a challenge for both plants and wildlife in the garden.
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Autumn in full swing
Autumn is now definitely with us, cooler days, misty mornings and mellow fruitfulness. Trees have begun to colour, turning brilliant reds, golds and browns. Fruits and berries are ripening on trees and hedgerows, a winter larder for birds and mammals.
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Celebrate the Start of Autumn
The days are distinctly shorter and there is a chill in the air that is hard to ignore, but September should be a celebration for the start of Autumn in all of its glory instead of about mourning the end of Summer.
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High Days and Holidays
While the city streets in August may be relatively quiet due to the summer holiday exodus, the garden is as busy as ever.
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Lazy hazy days of July (part 2)
The summer solstice at the end of June has gifted us with up to 18 hours daylight each day to enjoy and so July is the month when a long, long, long list of plants are coming into their flowering own and savouring the long days as much as us humans.
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Forget AI, it's all about EI (Ecological Intelligence)
Personal Ecological Intelligence: imby is looking to reveal nature’s intrinsic connections in an urban environment, presenting these to a city’s residents in a way that provides an understanding of the world around them while providing the tools needed to engage.
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Lazy hazy days of July (part 1)
The summer solstice at the end of June has gifted us with up to 18 hours daylight each day to enjoy and so July is the month when a long, long, long list of plants are coming into their flowering own and savouring the long days as much as us humans.
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The new role of an urban ecologist
In the future, Green Infrastructure will play an important role in helping us ‘future proof’ urban developments against climate change, and the ecologist will play an important part in the process.
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Bloomin' June
British Summer time is officially here, and the planted world in June is awash with as much sound, texture and colour as its human counterpart!
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May your garden grow
It can be no surprise that May is the favourite month for many gardeners as the garden is still fresh with emergent growth and flowering promise and very little is in decline.
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Gardening as therapy: spend some time in the garden to improve your wellbeing
Research shows that getting out into your garden can enhance your creativity, reduce stress and is great for you in many other ways.
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Love your scruffy edges
When thinking about gardening in urban spaces, don't forget that there is a community of wild plants out there looking for a home; a scruffy little patch where a seed can land and a wild plant can grow.
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Spring forward to spring
The clocks have gone back fueling Spring’s leap forward, and the vivid fresh green tones of emergent foliage looks so delicious it almost makes the mouth water...
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Systems change starts in your back yard
Systems thinking shows us that the smallest of actions has a lasting effect on the world. And taken together, many small actions add up to great effect.
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When the garden becomes your office... the joys of research!
Designing an app to help people tackle a completely offline activity like gardening creates a challenge for the imby team. User centred research helped us create the first version of the imby app and now we need to hear what you think of it - sign up for testing now.
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Spring is here! Time to get out into the garden...
We have made it through the winter and spring time is officially here! Time to ease ourselves into the season of gardening ahead with just a gentle task or two.
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Find your urban green space
It’s not all about gardens, it’s about how every space connects in an ecosystem - from window-boxes to Royal Parks, all urban green spaces are important.
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Introducing imby – what can I do in my back yard?
imby was born from a simple question: as a city dweller who cares about the environment, what can I do to bring nature into the local, urban spaces in which I live?
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Slugs have feelings too
You’ll know you’re a real wildlife gardener when you can agree that “There are no pests, because everything in my garden is a source of interest and enjoyment”.
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A view from the garden - people and wildlife can coexist
A wildlife friendly garden can be a beautiful and functional space for people too - the distinction between the value of open spaces to people or wildlife should be removed.
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