Any gardening plans for the coming year?

Sadly our large yew tree will have to be removed, it's blocking to much light and we're afraid it will blow over in one of our increasingly strong gales. Sadly we can't trim the sides to make it more slender without killing it although you can cut the tops off them. I hate the idea of cutting down a healthy tree, but it has to be done.

So in its place and around the stump, I have a slow growing pine tree than desperately needs to go in the ground and out from the tub it's in, so that can go at the back of the stump. I intend to make a berm which is where you make a pile of twigs branches and bits of rubble and pipe and pack soil over the top to make a slightly raised mound, into this I will plant the heaters that are currently around the pine tree and maybe some ferns and other small woodland-y plants, this will conect to the dead hedge I have and will create a wildlife highway to the rest of the garden, creatures can get in the berm and over winter in it. I want to use up some spare pond liner to cover the big shallow tub that the heathers and pine were in and make a small wild life pond.

Parents
  • That berm you have built is something similar to what I did last autumn with cut down cypress trees  

    If you've not already done so you might look up "Hugelkultur" as this is the same idea?

    Maybe a wood worker might be interested in the timber from the yew?  Or anyone who enjoys archery  might like to try longbow making...

    Such heathers as you are replanting are not my plan although the rotting wood leading to acid soil conditions makes it a good idea.  I have accidentally created beds by piling logs in places in the garden before and they are really successful at creating great soil conditions for plants they border, in one case being a great place for ferns to thrive too.  Plus a perfect place for beetles etc.

    I'm getting around to thinking about seed planting for windowsill germination - allotment and greenhouse veg, a wider variety of sweet peas this year.

    I have late winter tree pruning to do in few weeks - our walnut doesn't really like it however it is so close to the house that it is a necessity.  Our Japanese Maples will also need shaping before they do their spring magic.

    Oh and there's always the compost to tend to!

  • Thanks for that, I'd never heard of it before, I'm not sure I'd be able or wish to build a mound as high as the one shown though, but it's interesting.

Reply Children
No Data