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Each month, receive tips on the top jobs needed in your garden as well as a wealth of information on a range of gardening topics. From sowing seeds to picking fruit, each month get access to information on the care and maintenance of your flowerbeds, vegetable plot and lawn. As with your own gardening diary, the journal is split into separate sections, each covering a different area of garden care.

Monday 3 December 2018

This Month in Your Garden - December

‘In the depths of winter I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.’ – Albert Camus


We don’t associate December much with growing anything from seed. It’s more about keeping warm if you’re working outside and checking on all those last minute jobs to be done before winter really takes a hold. 

However, you can grow alpines sown from seed because they love a cold break to wake them up. What they don’t like is being excessively wet, so put a sheet of glass over where they are growing using bricks to support and hold down the sheet, effectively making a glass tunnel. 

The Lawn Care Guide - December

Keep on top of the grass


Where we are in the country it’s looking unlikely the grass will get a final cut since most days it’s fairly wet but it would be nice to give it a last trim so it looks a bit neater.

If you have a large lawn and own a Countax or Westwood garden tractor you’ll be able to cut and collect in the wet. In drier areas you may be fortunate and able to give the lawn a haircut but not a crewcut.

Lawn Care: Questions & Answers

Q. I want to create a new lawn in the spring. When can I start preparing the area?

The Vegetable Plot - December

Who grows where?


The vegetable garden can be well stocked and growing through the winter months, with the vegetables virtually looking after themselves.

Onions, shallots, garlic, spring onions, broad beans, peas and more can be comfortably left to fend for themselves while you get on and sow some winter lettuce, lambs lettuce, mustard and cress.

The Big Glut Recipe - December

Game pie


Just the ticket for the festive season, hearty and hale with a choice of game you can use in this BBC Food dish. Delicious served with creamy celeriac mash.

Ingredients

  • 675g/1½lb mixed game meat such as pheasant, partridge, hare and rabbit, boned
  • 225g/8oz venison steak cut into 2.5cm/1in cubes
  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 2 red onions, peeled and sliced
  • 120g/4oz smoked streaky bacon, derinded and chopped
  • 120g/4oz chestnut mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 30g/1oz plain flour
  • 1 bay leaf