Topiary Month by Month Care Guides JANUARY BOX IN CONTAINERS. This is good time to re-pot your box plants in containers. Check that the plants have adequate space for the roots. Select a larger container and put in fresh compost. Alternatively you can root-prune the plant to create more space and put in fresh compost and return it to its original container. Check that your HEDGING BUXUS SEMPERVIRENS SUFFRUTICOSA in the open ground is not getting too dense, if it is thin it a little by putting your hand into the plant and prune a little away. This will allow air to circulate more easily and this will keep the plant healthy. Do not prune in very cold weather. In open ground check that all plants are weed free and free of debris both inside the bush and on the ground. TAXUS plants in containers may need to be re-potted. Do this the same way as described for BOX Plants. Tidy up existing HERBACEOUS BORDERS , removing leaves and dead foliage, except where the plant is tender. Mulch the ground around existing roses and dig in manure where new roses are to be planted. Give protection to any vulnerable shrubs. Shake any heavy snow off EVERGREENS to prevent damage. Complete planting of bare-rooted DECIDUOUS SHRUBS by the end of the month. Remove any diseased or damaged wood when planting CLIMBERS, fix the permanent support in place first. Rake out fallen leaves and debris from beneath HEDGES. Provided the weather is mild, cut back where they have become weak to encourage new growth.

FEBRUARY Check your BOX and YEW is not damaged by heavy falls of snow. Knock off snow so that the bushes are not spoilt. If you live in an area where deer are a hazard to your garden, consider planting more BOX because the deer will not eat it. The leaves contain an alkaloid that is toxic to deer. They seem fully aware of this and leave well alone. HERBACEOUS BORDERS need to be forked over removing as many perennial weeds as possible. Spread a good general fertilizer around that plants. If the weather is kind plant any additional plants towards the end of the month.

ROSES can be planted towards the end of the month if the weather and the soil conditions are favourable. Climbing roses can be pruned this month (leave ramblers until September). With the modern shrub roses which throw up long vigorous shoots from the base, shorten these by about one third to reduce wind-rock. If your roses are subject to black spot, now is the time to start spraying. Complete the planting of bare-root deciduous shrubs by the end of the month, but leave the evergreens until April or May. Check that climbers and wall plants are safely anchored to their permanent support. Keep protective material nearby, such as fleece, so that plants can be covered in cold weather. Now is the time to plant bare rooted DECIDUOUS HEDGING in ground that has been well prepared. On ground that dries out easily the hedges may need watering. Check if hard frosts or high winds have lifted the plants and tread back in firmly if necessary. Dig and manure your VEGETABLE plot and start preparing seed beds in readiness for early sowing. A planting of seed potatoes should be put in shallow trays in the light and kept frost free. This will encourage strong growth. If you are planning a new lawn start preparing the site now , so that you can sow grass seed in April or May. This is a good time to feed and manure FRUIT TREES. The three main requirements are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which should be applied on a regular basis. Early BULBS such as winter aconites will be appearing now and some early snowdrops. For the vegetable plot, study the seed catalogues and plan where your crops will go. A number of VEGETABLES can be sown under glass this month. Bare root FRUIT TREES can still be planted now pruned. Remove any dead leaves or other debris from the lawn. Overhaul your mower so that it is ready for the new season.

MARCH Examine your BOX for any form of pest infestations. Do this every two or three weeks. Take note of where the problems are. Prune off any infested leaves or twigs. Water newly planted TAXUS HEDGES and see that it doesn’t dry out. It is necessary to do this for the first three years. When planting in the HERBACEOUS BORDER keep off the soil if the soil sticks to your boots. If trodden on in this state it will compact the soil and spoil the soil’s structure. If in doubt use boards to stand on while you work. Early in the month is a good time to prune ROSES if you live in the south but leave till end of the month in the north. Do not prune in frosty weather. Remove damaged or weak growth and aim to keep the centre of the bush open. Try to keep the bush in a pleasing shape. This is the month to start pruning SHRUBS. The purpose of pruning is to keep the bushes in a good shape and to increase its vigour. Check that the ties are secure on wall plants and if necessary loosen ties that are too tight, or re-tie them as necessary. March is a good time to move SNOWDROPS. It is better to move them in the green and they will soon settle down though initially they will look ungainly. This does not apply to other bulbs. These should not be moved until the foliage has died down.

This is the last time to plant bare rooted fruit trees. Container grown fruit trees can be planted at any time. In the VEGETABLE GARDEN broad beans and peas can be sown and seed bed sowings of Brussels sprouts cabbage and cauliflower, leeks, lettuce and spinach. This is the start of the mowing season. Choose a mild day for the first cut and do not cut it too short.

APRIL It is important to keep your BUXUS plants “clean”. The incidence of disease and pest damage can be avoided with proper care. This is a good time to clean out the leaves that have accumulated in the centre of the bushes, shake out the debris and rake it all away. Check that your box in containers is adequately watered and turn the containers from time to time so that the plants grow evenly. TAXUS in containers require similar care, though thinning is not generally necessary. It does need adequate watering and feeding. Any tender plants in the HERBACEOUS BORDERS can now have the protection removed. If you wish, you can lift and divide them. When the soil has begun to warm up, apply a good layer of mulch to prevent the weeds coming through. Spread the mulch after the rain so that the moisture can be retained in the soil. Where necessary you can commence staking those plants which need support. Established ROSES need top dressing of balanced fertilizer either Growmore or a special rose fertilizer. Once the soil has become warm a mulch or organic material will help feed the plants, keep the soil moist and help to suppress weeds. Complete any pruning of SHRUBS that was due in March, which had to be delayed because of cold weather. Prune early flowering shrubs when they have finished flowering. If the winter has been hard some shrubs may look dead, but leave those a month or two before discarding, because they may well throw up signs of new growth in due course.. Mulch newly planted HEDGES with compost to help to keep the weeds under control and keep the moisture in the soil. Once the risk of hard frosts is over the planting of summer flowering BULBS is possible i.e. ALLIUM. FRITILLAREA and GLADIOLUS corms. In the VEGETABLE GARDEN continue sowing of beetroot, radishes, spinach, carrots, peas and broad beans for succession. In the seed beds sow cauliflower, cabbage, kale and purple sprouting broccoli. Increase the frequency of LAWN mowing to suit the speed at which the grass is growing. Do not mow closer than 5mm if you do it can cause a building-up of moss and weeds. Liquid feed fertilizer to FRUIT TREES in containers and WALL plants such as peaches, nectarines, apricots and figs. The fertilizer needs to be potassium-rich. Therefore a tomato fertilizer would be ideal.

MAY BOX or BOXWOOD with its evergreen foliage is a great asset in the garden whatever the season. It is particularly useful in the winter when there is much less interest in the garden. In frost and snow it looks particularly attractive. It is relatively low maintenance and because of these things it has become very popular. Unfortunately however the care of Box has been neglected and its cultural needs have not been really understood. Inappropriate placement is very common. We tend to plant Box where our design dictates and we do not consider sufficiently where the plants will thrive. So if you are planting this month

(from containers, you cannot plant open ground stock after the beginning of March) be sure to consider where the plants will thrive. Check the TAXUS plants are fed and watered well in containers, and if you hve a newly planted Taxus hedge make sure that it does not dry out. The most common form of Yew is TAXUS BACCATA, but other forms are available The golden Yew Taxus Baccata Aurea is beautiful and Irish Yew Taxus Fastigiata has erect branches which are a particularly attractive shape. In the HERBACEOUS BORDER staking should be continued before the plants have become too large. The developing growth will hide the stakes and the plant will look more natural.. There is still time to replace any ROSES which have been damaged or killed during the winter. Use container grown plants, so that the root system is not disturbed. Keep the soil ball intact and place in the hole and fill with good soil. Keep the plant watered if planting in a dry spell. With your SHRUBS and WALL plants apply a balanced fertilizer round the base of the plants, after you have removed any weeds. Remember to water when necessary any newly planted shrubs. You should complete the planting of root balled EVERGREEN and CONIFER HEDGES this month. Water well particularly in dry weather and spray the hedge with water each evening. When established HEDGES have reached the height required, cut back the leaders (or main stems) by 26cm below the level. If TULIPS are occupying space needed for other plants, lift the bulbs and heel them into some spare ground. Let the foliage die down, then lift and store the bulbs in paper bags ready for replanting in October or November. In the VEGETABLE GARDEN sow French beans, but wait until the soil is warm enough. These seeds will not germinate if the temperature is below 10C. They need good deep soil and preferably in a wind free position. Runner beans can go in between the middle to the end of the month. When mowing the LAWN adjust the mower to its summer cutting height and mow more frequently. Try to vary the pattern of mowing alternatively lengthways and cross ways. This helps to keep coarser grass and creeping weeds in check. If there are weeds and very coarse grass in the lawn apply a selective weed killer.

JUNE This is the month for clipping your BUXUS when the frosts will have gone. Check all your buxus plants for pests and disease - keep the plants well watered at the base of the plant. Control weeds as necessary. Do the same for your YEW plants HERBACEOUS plants will be flowering abundantly now and when they have finished flowering cut them down. This helps the plants to maintain the strength and in many cases the plants will flower again. Do not let the soil dry out. This will put the plants under stress. Hand weed between the plants frequently. Tie new growths on CLIMBING ROSES to avoid wind damage. Remove suckers as they appear. These come from below the graft-joint and are usually a paler sappy green. SHRUBS will need a good soak of water in prolonged dry spells. With the shrubs that flower on last year‘s wood, prune after flowering. Keep your HEDGES weeded and water where necessary. Those that have recently been planted such as

Berberis, Ligastrum (privet), Lonicera Nitida and Taxus Baccata. Keep the sides of hedges parallel or taper them towards the top. Keep your shears well oiled and sharp in order to get a good result. Lift your BULBS after flowering if you want to move them. Wait until the foliage has become yellow before moving Spring flowering bulbs. These should be dried and then re-planted in the autumn. In the VEGETABLE GARDEN keep up successional sowings of salad crops Sow marrow and courgettes. Swedes can be sown in the middle of the month. Keep the soil moist so that the growth is not checked. Tomatoes can be planted outside. Winter brassicas which were sown in April can now be planted outside. Keep a watch for aphids and spray as necessary. Mow your LAWN regularly and scarify the surface lightly before mowing. If weeds are troublesome irrigate if necessary in dry spells.

JULY Continue to monitor your BUXUS plants and water in dry spells. Do the same for your TAXUS and be sure all Taxus and Buxus in pots are well watered and fed with a good liquid feed. Cut down DELPHINIUMS after they have flowered- about 6” from the ground. If kept moist they will make new growth and produce more flowers in September. Continue to dead-head other HERBACEOUS plants if you do not wish to save the seed. SHRUBS and WALL plants that were cut back in the Spring will now be coming into flower. New growth on shrubs that flowered in the Spring will benefit from a high potash fertilizer. Look out for pests and diseases and spray if necessary. Water plants in prolonged dry spells. Newly planted HEDGES will need a trim to make them thicken up. Slow growing hedges I.e. Buxus Sempervirens (box), Iles (holly) and Hornbeam can be cut this month. This should be sufficient to keep them tidy for a year. The first flush of the ROSES will be over by mid July, so continue to dead-head them. Cut down the flowering stem by one third. This acts as summer pruning. Do not cut back the once flowering old roses as these will produce hips in the Autumn. Feed the roses with rose fertilizer so that they will produce a good second crop. Do this before the third week of the month. Watch for pests and diseases - continue to look for suckers and remove if necessary. Consider if you want to make any changes in your rose beds and make notes. It will soon be time to order any new roses you may want. Look out for LILY BEETLE. This can be picked off by hand or can be sprayed with an insecticide. Now is the time to plant CROCUSES. Cover the corms with 2 - 3in of soil. Naturalized bulbs will have finished growing, so that it will now be possible to mow the GRASS. In the VEGETABLE GARDEN we are busy harvesting the crops. These are gathered as soon as they are ready. Continuous picking means that the vegetable is young and more delicious and it helps continuous cropping. Sow parsley seed now for winter crops. The SOFT FRUIT harvest is now in full swing and early peaches, plums, pears and apples will soon be ready. Pick them carefully in order not to bruise them and freeze any surplus so that you will have them for the winter months. Continue to mow the LAWNS regularly but not quite so frequently with the blades a little higher in dry spells. The best time to sow new lawns is approaching. So start preparing the new ground now, killing the perennial weeds. Try to produce an even surface. Final preparation of the soil should wait till just before

sowing or turfing.

AUGUST Continue to water your BUXUS (box) in containers and be sure to liquid feed with seawood fertilizer. Having saucers under the pots enables the plants to take up water when it needs it. The saucers should of course be removed in winter. TAXUS (yew) plants in containers need the same treatment. With the HERBACEOUS plants continue weeding, watering and dead-heading. In the ROSE beds continue with dead heading and with the climbers tie in the new shoots. Watch out for black spot particularly in dry weather. It will thrive on roses that are under-nourished. Spray the diseased plants and apply foliage feed. Get your rose order ready now and have it in by the end of the month. Try to select roses which are not prone to disease. Ask your supplier for advice on this. If you are planning a new HEDGE now it is the time to chose your plants. If you buy bare root for Autumn planting you will have a greater range of varieties to chose from. Order more than you need, so that if any should fail, you will have some replacements. This is the time to cut your YEW HEDGES. For a mature hedge this is the only time you will need to cut. Do not cut the sides in a perpendicular way, but let the sides taper upwards. This is beneficial in snowy weather since the weight of the snow is not too great. Start thinking about AUTUMN BULBS. Although there are not many to chose from, they do come at a time when there is not much in flower. Colchicum and Cyclamen flower well. There are several varieties of Autumn crocus. August is the month to plant Muscari. In the VEGETABLE GARDEN draw a little soil up around the stems of winter greens and this will help to stabilize them during the winter winds. This is the time for harvesting FRUIT. To test whether an apple is ready, hold the apple gently in your hand and give it a slight twist and it should leave the spur. Eat apples within a few days of picking because they will not keep. Pick pears while they are still firm. They will mellow better off the tree. Do not leave them too long before eating. Keep mowing your LAWNS, varying the blade heights as necessary. A final Summer feed can be applied until the middle of the month. Do not apply nitrogenous feed after the middle of the month.

SPETEMBER Towards the end of the month you can move BUXUS and TAXUS plants to a new situation if you wish. Remember to keep them well watered until they are established. Do not clip your Buxus plants after September. This also applies to hedging. Late cutting will cause new growth and that could be subject to frost damage. When watering do not water from above, only on the roots, as this can cause disease problems. Continue to dead head in the HERBACEOUS ORDER. Keep the border clean with weeding and hoeing. Spray your ROSES against black spot, making sure that each plant is thoroughly covered with the liquid. The middle of the month is the right time to prune RAMBLER ROSES, firstly untying all the stems from the supports. Cut out the old wood leaving about six lengths of the new growth. If this seems too drastic, save some of the old wood but reduce the length quite severely. Tie the stems back to the supports, spreading them out evenly. Use twine for this of medium thickness. Thinner twine cuts into the young wood. Allow

some space for the stems to swell NEW HEDGES. Container grown plants can be planted this month, but you can also prepare for planting balled or bare root plants during the autumn. AUTUMN FLOWERING BULBS that are naturalized in grass will benefit from a dressing of bone meal. Apply at a rate of 65g per sq meter. Plant daffodils either naturalized or in beds. Spring flowering cyclamen or crocuses may also be planted. Harvesting FRUIT TREES continues and mid-season apples and pears will be ripening. Autumn raspberries should be ready now. The birds do not attack these fruits. Order new FRUIT TREES now while there is a good selection of them. MOWING The growth rate of the grass will be slowing, so towards the end of the month raise the blades by about 6mm. Now is the time to sow new lawns. SHRUBS. Take cuttings of the shrubs which are not fully hardy. These will provide replacements should the older shrubs not survive. CLIMBERS and WALL plants should now be planted while the soil is still warm. Spinach should be sown now and will over winter as seedlings. The crop will be ready around April when there are few greens around.

OCTOBER Check whether your BUXUS and TAXUS in pots need to be re-potted. If you do not want to move them into a larger pot, it is possible to root-prune them. Put new compost in the pot and replant the plant. In the HERBACEOUS border have a good tidy up. Remove canes or pea sticks. Store anything re-useable so that they are ready for next year. Now is the time to make changes if you so wish moving plants around as appropriate. Prepare new ROSE beds. This is a good time to prepare the soil. Dig in a good quantity of well rotted manure. Preferably do not replant an old rose bed, but if you do either sterilize the soil or change the top 38cm of soil. Evergreen SHRUBS may still be planted whilst the soil is still warm. Remove the tall stems of late flowering shrubs. This will help to prevent wind damage in the winter. CLIMBERS and WALL plants. Any planting of these should be done as soon as possible and check that the supports are in place. HEDGE planting. When your plants arrive get them in as soon as possible, particularly evergreen hedges. Do not let the roots dry out. Deciduous plants may be heeled in temporarily if you are not quite ready to plant. In the VEGETABLE garden, harvesting is in full swing. Most varieties of fruit should be off the trees by the third week. A few varieties such as Sturmer Pippin and Granny Smiths should be left until the beginning of next month. STORAGE - The conditions should be coolness, darkness and a little ventilation. Remove dead leaves and debris from the lawns and continue to mow as necessary. Turf can be laid now though this is a fairly expensive way of making a lawn. Be sure that they are of good quality.

NOVEMBER BUXUS. Watch for yellowing of the lower branches. This usually indicates nitrogen deficiency. The leaves will have a rather uniform yellowing, which is more pronounced on the old leaves. As the deficiency becomes more acute, the younger leaves become stunted and may become bronze in winter. Generally boxwood leaves stay on the plant for three years. If the leaves fall off prematurely, this indicates a lack of nitrogen. Apply an application of fertilizer granules which is high in nitrogen but do not let the fertilizer touch the surface roots. TAXUS Bronzing. Bronzing on Taxus can occur in the Autumn and persist through the winter. It usually recovers the following Spring and Summer. Nobody knows exactly what causes this, though it could be related to the lack of necessary nutrients or too much water or too little water. An inspection of the roots would be advisable and very often the problem can stem from a poor root system, thus the plant is unable to sustain top growth. Complete planting in the HERBACEOUS BORDER. Keep fallen leaves clear from the bed. Keep material handy for protecting tender plants during severe weather. Straw or fleece would be suitable. SHRUBS, CLIMBERS AND WALL plants may still be planted as the ground will be retaining some warmth though on clay it would be better to wait until the end of winter. Whatever the soil the planting of evergreens are best left until April NEW HEDGES. Continue to plant deciduous hedges, provided the soil is workable and reasonably dry. Do not plant evergreen on coniferous hedges once the weather has turned cold. Plants are liable to lose moisture more rapidly than they can regain it if they are subject to low temperatures soon after planting. The next safe month for planting is April. Planting FRUIT TREES. The usual time to plant is between November and March while they are dormant. Heel in if conditions are too wet for planting, heel them in a sheltered part of the garden. MOWING A final cut of the lawn may be needed but do not do this during frosty weather. Remove all fallen leaves and stack them to form leaf-mould. ROSES. These may be pruned now if you live in a mild area. Do not prune in frosty weather. Continue and remove weeds and dead ,leaves from the beds.

DECEMBER Continue to fertilize BUXUS and TAXUS plants that have not been fed. If the plants are nutritionally starved the leaves will be discoloured. ESTABLISHED BORDERS. Continue cleaning up whenever the soil conditions allow. Remove dead growth, weeds and leaves. Clear fallen leaves from rose beds. Burn if there are traces of black spots, rust or mildew. Check that the supports for standard roses and climbers are secure without being too tight. SHRUBS, CLIMBERS AND WALL plants. Have protective material ready for the more tender plants. Fleece will keep out 5 degrees of frost. If the weather turns mild again be ready to remove the fleece. Established HEDGES. Remove any snow from the coniferous or evergreen hedges if it is weighing down the branches. Take care when doing this because the branches can become brittle in the cold.

Check that areas where SNOWDROPS are planted are clear of leaves and debris, so that you can appreciate their beauty when they flower. In the VEGETABLE garden lift and store swedes and late sown carrots. Continue to remove spent crops. Try to complete the digging of the plot before the ground becomes too wet. NEW LAWNS. Turves may be laid whenever the weather and soil conditions allow. Rake up leaves on existing lawns and stack up to form leaf-mould.

The Classic Gardener, Pound Barn, West Kington, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 7JQ Tel : 01249 783880 E : [email protected]

W: www.classicgardener.co.uk