I am excited for 2023. I think the reality of people wanting to spend less on luxury items will bring us back to concentrating on our homes and gardens and appreciating our local surroundings.
Maybe 2023 will be a year to bring us back together and slow down again. I feel like after the COVID restrictions were lifted last year I have not stopped, and I know my friends and family feel the same. It is like we are all making up for lost time. I honestly don’t think I have walked down to feed the ducks once this year or spent an entire day gardening and preparing it for the next season. Where has 2022 gone?
So, let’s all make a new year resolution together... no not the one where we promise to go for a run every day or stop eating chocolate, the one where we think about me-time and concentrate on our home life. I spoke in an article a few months ago about houseplants and how good they are for the soul, so let’s start our new year resolutions here. In January, our houses are still cold, and the radiators or fires are on, so we need to protect our houseplants from these rapid temperature changes. Is there a spot in the house that is an ambient temperature and doesn’t fluctuate too much? This is usually a landing or bedroom. If so, I would consider moving your plants there. In the winter months they will be dormant but will still require watering and checking for disease. Your houseplants are quite easy to take care of in the winter months.
Grab your coat, open the door, and check your outside pots. Many of us have topiary surrounding our doors and oddly enough they are one of the most neglected plants in our gardens. Even though they are outside, and it has rained every day, check the soil is wet all the way through. You can do this by pushing a wooden kebab skewer into the soil. Like a dipstick for the oil in your car. Check where the moisture is on the skewer and if it is dry give the plant a good water. Remove dead leaves and check for disease and pests.
One of the most frequent questions I am asked when topiary is bought from us is, will I need to cover this in the winter? The answer is no. Not unless we have a long cold snap with hard frost or snow, or a winter like we had in 2010 where it seemed to snow from December through to April. If this does happen then wrap the head of the topiary in a sheet, ideally thermal wrap, similar to what is used under laminate flooring. If you can, move them inside a garage, shed or greenhouse, but I know this is not always possible. Olive trees are the hardiest of them all, they can tolerate up to -18°C.
January is the time to grab your wellies, gardening gloves and buckets, as new life begins to show, with crocus, snowdrops and, if you have a garden like mine, your cyclamen will start to emerge, we need to help them grow. If you are surrounded by trees and your lawn or soil is covered in leaves, January is the time to remove them so that the sun’s rays can warm the soil and encourage your bulbs to begin to grow.
Hopefully, these little tips will give you an idea for a fulfilling New Year’s resolution that will continue to keep giving all year round. I hope you enjoy your plants and preparing your garden for a fabulous year ahead.
Happy New Year!
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Nicolla Florist Limited
1 Bank Street, Wetherby LS22 6NQ.
Tel. 01937 585233