This week in the garden
Post categories: experimental gardening, news, ponds and water gardening, temperature, trees, wildlife gardening, winter colour, winter protection
|08:11 UK time, Saturday, 27 November 2010
In the news....
Well, even by November standards we've certainly had some weather this week. Gardens in Scotland and Northumberland are under two feet of the white stuff after the earliest heavy snowfall since 1993 caused widespread disruption. Most public gardens had already closed for the winter, but Belsay Hall, near Morpeth, has been forced to shut its gates to visitors, and Alnwick Castle has also called a temporary halt to free weekend openings in its main gardens – though they say the Secret Woodland, complete with Santa Claus, will open come what may next week.
Ladybirds and hedgehogs may shun our well-meaning attempts to help them through winter, but barn owls don't seem so fussy: in fact man-made nest boxes are now the only thing keeping them going. Three-quarters of all barn owls now nest in artificial boxes as traditional sites such as barns and haystacks disappear. Gardeners are also the last refuge for bumblebees, too: a recent study tracking bees through DNA marking found gardens are a 'stronghold', whereas farmland was 'impoverished' by comparison.
Elsewhere on the web...
First-hand tales of the cold snap: Janet at Plantaliscious has been taking photos of her frost-kissed garden, garden pond guru Jeremy Biggs has some advice on keeping pond wildlife alive through freezing conditions, and pity the poor souls trying to get tropical gardens through this weather: Will Giles, whose exotic garden in Norwich is much admired, showed us how it's done.
We're mourning the end of Autumnwatch for another season: the last programme was on Thursday. To keep us going till next year there are some spectacular photos sent in by the audience: there are coy bluetits hiding in hedges, a starling's teaparty and a slug that looks almost beautiful.
Out and about...
Happy National Tree Week! Gardens around the country are celebrating their graceful giants all week long. RHS Wisley in Surrey are giving away free trees this weekend – 2,000 saplings are up for grabs – or choose from four guided tree trails at Wentworth Castle Gardens, near Barnsley in Yorkshire. And for a truly magical experience visit the hugely popular Enchanted Wood at Syon Park, in West London, lit up with over 1000 lights after dark this weekend and next.
It's not all twigs and branches out there: garden writer Val Bourne is talking about snowdrops at Pershore College in Worcestershire on Tuesday, with anecdotes and tips on the best varieties to grow. And Great Dixter in East Sussex hold their much-anticipated Christmas Fair this weekend so get along for a last bit of Christmas shopping in the setting of one of the country's most beautiful gardens.
Sally Nex is a garden writer and blogger and part of the BBC Gardening team.
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