FEED OUR FEATHERED FRIENDS
In winter, wild birds need a high-fat diet.
We can help encourage them into our gardens by putting out suet blocks in wire cages or make our own by melting suet into half coconut husks and hanging them from trees. Don’t use plastic netting, as some birds can get their beaks trapped in this.
Put out finely chopped bacon rind and grated cheese for small birds such as wrens.
If you have overripe apples, cut these up and scatter them on the ground with some raisins for ground-feeding songbirds such as blackbirds and thrushes. It is a good idea to put out seeds and nuts as well for a balanced diet.
If you are using a hanging bird feeder or table, make sure to keep it clean to prevent the spread of avian disease. Do the same when providing water for birds.
The best foodstuffs are seeds and berries that are growing in the garden, so make sure to include plenty of these and don’t prune them back too soon in winter.
Rather than being too tidy, leave blackened sunflower heads for birds to feed on, as well as rosehips and withered grapes on the vine.
Gardening expert Ciar Byrne advises giving wild birds (pictured) in the garden a high-fat diet in winter
HARVEST WINTER VEG
December can be a month of plenty on the veg patch. There are still carrots, celeriac, parsnips, turnips, and winter radishes in the ground, which should be dug up now.
Brussels sprouts are at their best. Pick individual sprouts as required starting at the bottom, or cut the whole stalk and stand the end in a bucket of cold water until you are ready to use it.
In December, there are still carrots (pictured), celeriac, parsnips, turnips, and winter radishes in the ground, which should be dug up now
PERFECT SWEET PEAS
If you sowed sweet peas in late autumn, they should soon be ready to pinch out. Do this when the seedling reaches about 10cm high to encourage bushier growth. Pinch out the tip using your fingernails.
Sweet pea seeds need a temperature of about 15C to germinate, but once they are growing, move to a cool frost-free environment such as an unheated greenhouse.
If you sowed sweet peas (pictured) in late autumn, they should soon be ready to pinch out
PLANT OF THE WEEK
ILEX AQUIFOLIUM ‘SILVER QUEEN’
Contrary to its name, this award-winning variegated holly is a male plant so does not bear berries.
It is still very much worth growing for its beautiful, dark-green glossy leaves edged with creamy white margins.
In late spring it bears clusters of small white flowers which are great for bees and other insects, and it makes a good pollinator for nearby female hollies.
It is slow growing, taking between 20 and 50 years to reach its full size which can be up to 4m wide and 8m tall.
Ilex aquifolium ‘silver queen’ (pictured) has beautiful, dark-green glossy leaves edged with creamy white margins
Scarify grass with a rake and remove moss to a compost heap
READER’S QUESTION
What should I do about moss in my lawn?
Gary Baker, Oldham.
You don’t necessarily have to do anything. We are learning to embrace moss in lawns as part of a biodiverse habitat for beetles, woodlice and other minibeasts – plus birds use it to line their nests. The Japanese embrace moss in their gardens.
If you really want to get rid of it, try scarifying the grass with a rake and remove moss to a compost heap – or use on top of a container of spring bulbs or in a hanging basket.
Moss tends to grow in shade so cut back overhanging branches and use a shade tolerant grass mix.
