Timely New Year Resolutions

Well that was the year that was. Rather yo-yoing of weather at times that tested the nerves and patience of gardeners but in the end few plants were lost although some succulents were burnt by frost just before Christmas. But the couple of hot days between Christmas and the new year made up for that – we enjoyed the last sunbathe of the year at twenty five degrees centigrade. The next town had 27!

But not let’s reflect on the year that was. Lets look ahead to the year that is and New Year gardening resolutions. We offer the following possibilities as thought starters with the continuing economic gloom.

Ten possible 2010 New Year resolutions

1. As soon as there is a fine sunny day get down to the important winter cutback and clean up. At this time of the year all plants with the exception of winter flowering plants and trees benefit from a light or heavy cutback to shape them, cut them back to a size appropriate to a small garden and stimulate the formation of flower and fruit buds for the Spring and early Summer.  It will get you out in the sun for a vitamin D top up, it’s a therapeutic exercise – especially us with a computer on the blink when we are attempting to finish the text for a book by the end of the week – and the garden will tidy.

2. Save on new plants this year and plant up leaf, root or stem cuttings of your favourite plants. Use plastic water and soft drink bottles with the tops cut off and a small drainage hole towards the bottom as free pots.

3. Shred as many of the prunings as possible and add to the compost heap or start one. Within six months you can have some rich home produced compost and cut back on buying sacks of it.

4. Expand your growing of edible crops – edible flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables. You can still go out and buy over wintering plantlets of lettuces, Swiss chard, beetroots, globe artichokes, parsley, broccoli and strawberries to plant and garlic cloves and onion sets are still worth planting if you come across any. Perennial herb plants are always available and seeds can soon be started especially along the coastal plain as can fruit vegetable plants such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and squash. Many fruit trees can also be planted now while the soil is moist.

A last minute Los Reyes present of ‘Growing Healthy Vegetables in Spain’ and ‘ Growing Healthy Fruit in Spain’ will soon get you going in the right direction. If you don’t have much space build raised beds. The vegetable book tells you how.

5. If your house is up for sale make it look it’s winter best for potential buyers. Firstly complete the winter cut back as soon as possible to have a tidy clean garden as soon as possible and clean all tile and stone or concrete paths with a pressure hose or moss killer. Secondly pot up a few pots and window boxes with winter flowering or evergreen plants. Pansies, violas, cyclamens, and heathers will last until the end of Spring. And of course interestingly leafed succulents would be fine on the coast. The alternative is of course to implement the previous resolution to reduce your living costs and stay – even the worst of the Spanish winters is better than the UK and at present frozen Ireland.

6. While you carry out the winter cutback consider what you might change to have an even better garden next year. Have just noticed that the slogan for this months World Economic Forum annual Davos conference is ‘Rethink,Redesign,Rebuild’ a slight modification to ‘Reread, Rethink, Redesign, Rebuild’ could be a good slogan for gardeners in Spain. Many readers may have recently only used our book ‘Your Garden in Spain’ to find solutions to problems when an entire reread to have a strategic rethink of the garden may be in order. If you don’t have time to read all during January at least read the first hundred pages related to the general design and revamping of gardens. A selection of 400 plants most suitable for Spanish gardens and situational ideas etc follow.

7. Thinking about plants and saving money avoid buying the first stocking of spring plants. It’s often too early to safely plant them out especially away from the coast and since they have been forced to have them in the garden centres early they need hardening off before planting out on the coast. Also stick to proven plants and avoid the temptation of a new just imported exotic boutique plant that has little chance of surviving more than a season in Spain.

8. Most containers look a little dirty. Give them a good wash with a dilute solution of vinegar and water.

9. Decide to only use ecological insecticides and fungicides. There are many more available than even two years ago as more and more manufacturers have started to produce them as the EU is banning more and more of the original chemical products. The main benefit is that the garden air will be less polluted and safer for the family, pets, wildlife and neighbours when you spray by the fence. The second benefit is that the garden shed or garage will be safer.

10. How about starting to keep a couple of hens for fresh daily eggs, a way of getting rid of many garden weeds and kitchen waste and useful fertilizer when rotted down for a year. Even apartment dwellers now have them!

Well that’s sufficient ideas for the next fortnight and a good start to the years gardening.

© Clodagh and Dick Handscombe Jaunary 2010.