Winter was mild, quiet and uneventful meteorologically speaking at least. The long hot summer made everything late — the extended autumn show continued with colourful leaves remaining on the trees well into December; wildlife, insects and butterflies were still active in December, and hopeful late flowers popped up here and there. The garden and countryside hummed with the quiet slow pulse of waiting, recuperating, gathering forces and patience. I spent less time gardening and more time wandering and watching. By February, new signs of life and gathering energy spurred me on to get some work done. I could feel the pent-up expectation with buds fattening on the roses… better get on with the winter clear up before spring sproings.
Keir Watson
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DECEMBER
December was mild. A few frosty mornings here in Sussex, but plenty of bright days. The autumn has gone on for weeks, and I spent many days exploring the beautiful countryside in the South Downs. Not so much time spent in the garden, though!
Many sunny days, with some sharp frosts marked the beginning of winter. The clipped hedges and box balls keep the garden looking good.
I’m enjoying the winter colours of the new planting – especially in this light frost.
Look! Flying over that golden autumn oak: a lone red kite!
Beautiful autumn trees line this long straight road.
At West Dean Gardens, I am struck by this dramatic example of trained fruit. I believe this style is known as a ‘Belgian Fence’
Looking South, towards Halnaker windmill with Selsey peninsular beyond, from East Dean.
Back home, I really appreciate this view down my garden: the clipped box and evergreen hedges remain delightful while most of the garden sleeps.
Cyclamen coum is an amazing bulb – flowering from December until March. Here it is blooming wildly, under one of my dormant roses: candy pink in midwinter!
Towards the end of December there were some very clear nights. I was able to get some good astrophotography images from the garden, including this one of the Beehive star cluster (bottom left) with Jupiter (top right)
Zoomed in on the Beehive cluster: there are over 1000 stars of various colours in this near-by group.
Related Reads
- Trained fruit at West Dean Gardens
- Trained Forms Index
- The Green Roof – Phase 3
- 20 Beautiful Bulbs for Every Season
JANUARY
Lots of reasons to put off working in the garden: too frosty, too cold, too sunny. Too sunny? Yes, the sunny days attracted me out into the lovely South Downs. So, for a a second month I got little done in the garden. But as things started waking up, and the early spring flowers began to peep their faces up at me, I relented and got down to some late winter maintenance, just to show them I care.
Close to the house we have a potted Christmas tree decorated outdoors. The frost and tinsel were made for each other!
The new planting is looking great in its winter garb. The brown plants (front-centre) are Ceratostigma plumbaginoides which I planted a year ago. I’m very impressed with them, so… take what works and repeat…
On the south end of my green roof, the three whipcord hebes died this year (obviously not happy here, so best gone.) In their place I put three more Ceratostigma plants. They don’t look much yet.
Snowdrops start to make a show in the woodland garden.
These impressive perennials get into their stride this month. This double white (possibly “Golden Lotus”) opened this month.
Leucojum aestivum opened several weeks early this year.
Fortuately the garden slows down during the winter months and needs relativly little attention. Certain jobs, though, need doing before growth starts up in March. So, I begin clearing the beds, removing old foliage, weeding and pruning the roses.
Oh dear! While I wansn’t looking my pond has turned into a weedy quagmire. I think it needs a bit of work… Perhaps I’ll tackle it next month?
The shapes of the trained fruit (pear, fig, currents) are welcome in winter. This pear is my most successful training in terms of shape, ease of maintenance and productivity.
Out exploring the Sussex Downs with my camera: This ancient multi-arched bridge spans the beautiful Arun river.
The walk along the river from Greatham bridge was tranquil in the frost. I’ll return to explore the flood plane later in the year.
I captured the the first full moon of the year as it rose near Halnaker Windmill.
Related Reads
- Topiary Tour – Clipped evergreens in my Garden
- A Winter Homage to Finlay and Frosts
- The Green Roof
- My Top Hybrid Hellebores
- The Formal Pond
FEBRUARY
The garden is beginning to wake up — if ever-so slowly — so I get down to some tidying, weeding, clearing and pruning. The pond is still bothering me. I have to get rid of the duckweed, so I haul out the marginal plants (they are unexpectedly heavy), giving me clear water with no weed-traps. I skim and re-skim the water to remove all floating weeds, then add pond dye to reduce photosynthesis.
This area comes into its own from late winter through spring. Here is one bed after a quick tidy up: ferns, hellebore, narcissus, moss and foliage of Cyclamen hederifolium.
This month I decided to tackle the pond which had become choked with weeds. I pulled out all of the marginal plants so that there are fewer places for weeds to hide, then sieved and skimmed every couple of days for a month.
This beautiful nodding Hellebore is a self-sown seedling: unique to my garden. It has a lovely nodding tulip shape.
One of the first roses in my garden to begin to shoot. It’s a patio rose supposed to grow to 2ft tall, but against my fence, it has got to 5ft!
Flowering in February for just 2 weeks, purple crocus are momentarily dramatic, but the pink cyclamen are the real stars – flowering for months.
Close up – the stamens are incredible.
This colourful spurge adds to the winter garden. These are young plants, just 12months after planting. They’ll look even better next year.
Related Reads
- 3 New Lenten Rose seedlings
- Five Great Drought-Tolerant Euphorbias
- A Modern Romantic Rose Garden
- Macro Flower Photography
Final thoughts… Removing the duck-weed proves to be a long job. Every day I see a thousand pieces of duckweed have floated to the surface, so I skim again… more come up… day after day… this goes on well into March… Will it ever end?
HAPPY GARDENING!
Previous Garden Diary Posts
- Garden Diary — Autumn 2025 (Sep/Oct/Nov)
- Garden Diary — Summer 2025 (Jun/Jul/Aug)
- Garden Diary — Spring 2025 (Mar/Apr/May)
- Garden Diary — Winter 2025 (Jan/Feb)
- Garden Diary — Autumn/Winter 2024 (Oct/Nov/Dec)
- Garden Diary — Late Summer 2024 (Jul/Aug/Sep)
- Garden diary — Early Summer 2024 (Apr/May/Jun)
- Garden diary — Spring 2024 (Jan/Feb/Mar)
Again wonderfully inspiring! Thanks.