Home & Garden

Horticulture...

...with botanist Dr Dave Aplin

Born and bred in West Dorset, Dave has worked in horticulture and botany locally and internationally, notably in Belgium, Jordan and the UAE. He brings a wealth of practical knowledge with its underlying principles to his writing

Counting the cost of a winter’s frost

December delivered a few weeks of bitterly cold weather, the severity of which we have not witnessed for almost a decade. Worse, it followed a spell of typically mild weather that did little to prepare garden plants for the drop in temperature. Frost poses a life-threatening phenomenon to plants, especially for those that border on hardiness. I have several cherished plants in my own garden that have died and others that look rather jaded since the freeze. I know I am not alone, with plants feeling the chill across west and south Dorset. As water freezes its molecules become more spaced than when in liquid form. This causes them to expand by around 10 per cent. If ice crystals form within the cells of plants, they rupture with lethal consequences, killing whole leaves and entire plants. Why is it that some plants seem able to adapt and protect themselves while others do not? Plants are often divided into either of two categories, ‘hardy’ or ‘tender’. This designation refers to their cold tolerance. Hardy plants can normally withstand temperatures well below freezing, whereas the same conditions can make tender species curl up and die. The main factor for these differences relates to where they grow naturally. Those from warmer climates never or rarely experience frosts, so have no mechanism to resist it. As hardy plants sense cooling conditions, they gradually remove some of the water from their cells. This benefits the plant, firstly, by allowing space for ice to expand, secondly increasing the concentration of dissolved sugars and salts

in their tissues (like antifreeze), and thirdly, the leaves droop on to each other, giving lower leaves and branches protection. You may have noticed this when walking in frosty weather. Some plants also produce an antifreeze protein, which further increases their cold tolerance with others undergoing supercooling, where the sap within cells remains liquid at temperatures well below freezing point. Frost protection is only triggered when a plant perceives the threat of cold weather. Unsurprisingly, if plants are unable to respond to rapid drops in temperature, they will be prone to frost damage. With this in mind, I covered some of my special plants with blankets to keep the worst of the weather off, but even this failed to have the desired effect on some. I will now wait until early summer to see what has survived, and

hopefully reshoot from the base, and which are destined for the compost heap. While it is hard to predict the type of weather we had in December, we can be more accurate at forecasting spring’s weather, helping plants survive. ‘Hardeningoff’ is a phrase gardener’s use, it means gradually acclimatising plants that have had protection from life outside. This often refers to temperature but is equally important for strengthening the entire plant. The idea is simple, protected plants need to gradually experience cooler conditions before initiating the responses that will safely bring them through cold weather. Gradually placing them in cooler conditions: from greenhouse to cold frame, then with the cold frame tops off during the day; tops open partially at night; then fully open at night, will prepare plants for outside temperatures. A few sheets of newspaper or horticultural fleece, placed over the plants, provide good protection from spring frosts. If you forget and your prized plants get frosted, you may still have a chance to save them if you are quick. Wash the frost off with cold water before the direct rays of the sun hits them. It doesn’t always work, but sometimes it can save your plants. That said, all plants have their own tolerance limit for cold. Plants from the tropic and sub-tropical regions, which includes many of our summer bedding plants, will never tolerate frost. And yet, they will soon appear in the garden centres! Only buy them if you can cosset them somewhere warm and use them for cuttings to multiply their number, otherwise leave them well alone. Wait for the next few months and don’t attempt to plant them out until the fear of frosts has abated and they are hardened-off.

By LISA LEWIS Interior designer of Sherborne www.lisalewis.co.uk

New Year, Clean Home Many of us start the new year re-evaluating several aspects of our lives — eating habits, fitness goals, financial plans etc. This is also the perfect time to refresh your home into a calm, clean and well-maintained environment. Here is a list of jobs to complete to start the new year with a clean slate! I’ve included jobs related to home maintenance, decluttering and cleaning.

Refresh your pantry and fridge. Remove all items and wipe down each shelf and drawer. Then, go through each item and discard anything that is expired or you no longer need, putting it back in an ordered fashion.

Clean your oven After all that festive cooking, it will definitely need a deep clean. If you can’t face it yourself there are lots of local firms you can call to help.

Go through paperwork Tackle that pile of paperwork and decide what’s to stay and what can go. Then, either digitise it or store it in an organised filing system. The rest can either be recycled or shredded. Do minor repairs you’ve been meaning to do While you’re in a motivated headspace, take time to tackle repairs you’ve had on your to-do list, like filling nail holes, repairing leaky taps, touching up paint, etc. Whip out your toolbox and walk through the house to see what needs to be done.

Go through wardrobes and drawers ’Tis the season to declutter! Take an afternoon to pile up all your clothing in one place, then go through it, item by item to see what should stay and what can be donated or sold. Seeing it all in one place will motivate you to pare down your wardrobe!

KEEP IT TIDY: Kitchen cupboards and bedroom wardrobes could all do with a tidy round Start 2023 with a big spring clean

Clean out tumble dryer vent duct Lint build-up in your dryer vent is a major fire hazard, especially during the winter.

Vacuum refrigerator coils Pull out your refrigerator to do something many fail to do each year: clean out the coils. And while you’re there, empty and clean the drip trays. Vacuum out dirt and dust that will have collected in the air passages under your fridge to improve efficiency and save energy.

Clean out dishwasher Although it seems like a tool designed to clean would always be clean, dishwashers need to be cleaned frequently.

Clean your bathroom exhaust fan Vacuum your fan out to remove any debris, such as lint, dust and hair and once cleared out it will run more efficiently.

Clean out basin and bathtub drains If your drain is draining water a little slower it’s likely that it’s clogged up. Remove any blockage and/or pour an ecofriendly solution down the drain, like bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar!

Vacuum furniture Give furniture a good vacuum to remove any dust, dirt, pet hair or human hair.

Wipe down blinds Get a dry microfibre cloth and wipe in a downward motion, so the blinds don’t pop off. Then, do the same to the reverse side.

Plan ahead for maintenance tasks the rest of the year At this time of year, you can’t do some of the necessary outdoor tasks, like cleaning gutters, inspecting your roof, cleaning out the garage, repairing the deck, etc. Make a plan for what you will tackle later this year – and when you plan to do it.

Happy New Year!

There’s mulch ado about worms and moles

Andy Cole is a reiki healer based in Middlemarsh. He specialises in planting for healing.

After the Christmas and New Year break, it is back to work. The dull, wet weather followed by a long cold spell has certainly tested everyone’s ability to be positive, and the festive merriment came at just the right time for a lot of us. The festive pick-me-up worked very well. The odd day of sunshine is such a bonus and to feel the sun on your back is a welcome tonic for us all. The gardens have been waterlogged, frozen, and are now getting wetter again, but the resilience of the natural world and habitat is a joy to behold. While digging the borders, the number of worms were phenomenal and this may explain the significant activity of the moles. These little devils are playing havoc with the lawns and the borders. Molly the dog is enjoying digging up the mole hills though – I think she feels she is helping. The spring bulbs are just beginning to show, snowdrops and daffodils are breaking the soil, with the small shoots poking their heads up. The healing energies of the

HOLEY MOLEY: Critters are digging up our lawns

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DAVE BUYS ALL TYPES OF TOOLS Call 01935 428975 snowdrops bring joy and the return of hope, after a dull winter period, brightening up your overall wellbeing, while the daffodil energies uplift the spirit and help to combat selfdoubt and low self-esteem. We are still on target to open the Potting Shed at Easter and the paths and patio areas are nearly completed. The perennial benches are under construction and the community garden borders are being planted and mulched. Before and after the cold snap we have been planting and mulching the rose bed. The roses have been planted in a specific order starting with the red flowering moving on to orange then yellow followed by purple and finally white. Some of the flowers are a mixture of colours – these have been placed in the most suitable places for them. The order represents the colours of the body’s chakras, staring with the base, which is red, then moving up to the crown chakra. They have been planted so as you walk into the community garden at the Potting Shed you walk past them; the rose energies balance and cleanse your chakras as you make your way up the path. If you have come for reiki, you will already have been balanced and cleansed, your body and spirit will be ready for the healing you are about to receive. If you have not come for a therapy, you still will have received a form of healing from the rose energies. We have also planted up another bed near the rose garden and this planting includes spirea, weigela, viburnum, photinia red robin along with other shrubs and under planted with geraniums, primroses, ajuga and bulbs. All the borders are being edged with recycled roof tiles, kindly donated and a layer of mulch to keep the weeds down. Things to do in the garden in January Plant bare-root roses, shrubs, hedging and ornamental trees, if the ground isn’t frozen. Establish new colonies of snowdrops and hellebores. Take hardwood cuttings from deciduous shrubs, such as forsythia, willow, and viburnum. Prune climbing roses, while they are dormant. Winter-prune apple and pear trees to remove any dead, damaged, congested, and diseased branches. Cover rhubarb plants with a bucket or terracotta pot to force an early crop.