Winter-flowering pansies are ideal for containers and winter hanging baskets, but they aren’t the only option.
Try hellebore (pictured) – a fantastic plant that flowers in deep winter. It comes in a range of colours, including white, green and reddish petals.
I would also recommend polyanthus, which is a good bedding plant. Cyclamen is another good choice.
You can also try winter-flowering heather, which blooms for months on end and is really bright. It comes in pink, purple and white. It’s also a really hardy plant, so it will thrive in containers even in the cold winter weather.
Why not try adding spring bulbs to keep your hanging baskets going in late winter and early spring too? Snowdrops and daffodils are always popular.
Top tips
An important thing to remember when planting hanging baskets for winter is that they should be full from the very start. This is because they probably won’t grow much before spring.
Therefore, it’s great to choose evergreen and perennial plants that will live on way past spring, and provide structure through the colder months.
Herbs are a must for every garden. They look good, they smell good and they do you good! Most herbs are easy to grow and make an excellent addition to your cooking.
There is always a wide choice of herb plants to buy from garden centres and nurseries, or even in pots from the supermarket. Or grow your own from seed.
Herb type
Herbs are ornamental plants and can be annual or perennial. Annuals last just one year and include basil, coriander, marjoram and parsley.
Perennials regrow every year. Perennial herbs include fennel, mint and thyme, as well as woody perennials like sage, lavender and rosemary. The odd one out is of course chives, which are a bulb from the onion family.
Planting
You can grow herbs in containers or pots on the patio, in a formal herb garden or even among your ornamental plants in a bed or border. They also make great hanging basket plants
Some herbs, like mint and lemon balm, are fast-growing and very vigorous. They can take over herb garden or container, so it’s a good idea to actually plant them in their original pot to contain the roots.
Most herbs thrive best in full sun which helps them produce the highest levels of essential oils but some, like rocket, parsley and chervil are fine in the shade.
For me, the best place to grow herbs is near the back door. They smell wonderful on a hot summer’s day and they’ll be readily available when you’re in the kitchen.
Growing
Once the plants have established, they need regular watering. You can also give them a liquid feed once a week during the growing season. Make sure you pick from them regularly to encourage new growth of fresh leaves.
In the autumn, annual herbs will die off and they can be discarded. Perennial herbs such as mint, oregano and thyme will also die back, but they will grow again in spring. They should be protected from frost during the winter.
Herbal tea
One of my favourite things to do with home-grown herbs is to make herbal tea using lemon balm, mint, sage leaves or camomile flowers. Pick about five or six leaves of your chosen herb and gently crush them in a clean paper towel. Then add to a cup or teapot and pour on boiling water.
Make sure you cover the mixture – this will ensure that the beneficial essential oils don’t evaporate with the steam. Leave to stand for at least five minutes and strain. Sweeten with honey if necessary.
The famous World War II ‘Dig for Victory’ campaign encouraged British people to get around food shortages by growing their own. It was so successful, parks and bomb sites were ripped up and turned into vegetable patches. In the late 1940s there were an estimated 1.4 million allotment sites in the UK.
Yet being forced to grow their own food turned many of the post-war generation off allotments. From the late 1960s onwards, frozen food and ready meals became the norm, and Britons fell out of love with allotments.
That meant many councils sold off allotments during the 1980s and 1990s as people simply didn’t want them. The total number across Britain is now estimated at around 300,000.
Recession times
Happily, recent years have a seen a massive increase in their popularity. Increased interest in sustainability and fears of climate change have been key factors in this increase. Add in the financial collaspe of 2008 and the demand to be self-sustaining grows. Sales of grow your own vegetable plants has been steadily rising since the start of the recession in 2008. Something that also happened during the previous two recessions.
They are especially important for people without much garden space or the two million Britons living in flats and apartments without a garden.
Now there are often long waiting lists for an allotment. Getting ahold of one can be like finding the goose that laid the golden egg. However, according to the National Allotment Society, almost 2000 new plots were built in 2013. So get down to your local council and get your name on the list!
Still not convinced?
The average family spends over £56 a week on food and drink. And we’re buying less fruit and veg than before the recession, as we all try and tighten our belts.
An allotment is the perfect solution for a healthier diet for all the family, bringing you fresh, cheap produce all year round. Plus, you’ll save on that gym membership by getting free outdoor exercise!
Renting a plot
Allotments are rented in rods. A rod is about 25 square metres, and you’ll be charged by the rod. Prices will vary from council to council, but you’re probably looking at around £100 a year to rent five rods. Most councils have discounts for OAPs.
That’s a fair amount of space – 125 square metres. It’s roughly half the size of a standard doubles tennis court – and will give you a lot of planting options all year round.
And it’s cheap!
If you spend around £50 on seeds and plants to get started, you could be seeing the financial benefits in a year. By years two and three you’ll be enjoying real savings.
Plus, there are always deals. One year you’ll find onion plants going cheap, another year it might be carrots.
You just need to be clever with your planting. A single crop of spuds should be planted in several stages so you’ve got a continuous supply, rather than one big glut. You could practically make back your seed money in a single season.
Add in some fruit trees or bushes, which will give fruit for years, and you’re laughing to the kitchen.
Total savings
Research has suggested allotment owners could save an average of £950 a year by home growing. More than half of those quizzed rented a plot to save money, while a third did so to be in control of the pesticides used on their food.
Teaching children about food was another important factor. Almost a third of allotment owners found growing their own was a great way of getting the kids interested in where fruit and vegetables come from.
Extras and add-ons
Sheds and toilets are both useful additions to your allotment. A compost toilet that breaks waste down into fertiliser is a great idea. But it shouldn’t be used on vegetables, only around fruit trees and bushes.
Here’s the really amazing thing. Under the 1950 Allotment Act, it’s an allotment holder’s right to keep hens and rabbits on their plot, as long they are for private use and not for business or profit.
Eating rabbit isn’t really in fashion. But keeping hens for their eggs is hugely popular and allotment coops are a brilliant solution for people who’d love to give it a go but just don’t have space at home.
Check your local tenancy agreement to make sure it’s okay, then have a go!
Escapism
Remember, it’s not only about growing your own. It’s about setting up a shed and having an escape from home life. They can be a real bolt-hole away from the hustle and bustle of daily life.
Somewhere you can go and enjoy quality time and good conversation with your fellow allotmenteer. You’ll meet friendly people who are prepared to come and splash some water on your spuds when you’re away!
Speak to your local council in the first instance about allotment availability, and visit the National Allotment Society at www.nsalg.org.uk for more information.
