Planning for the Season Ahead
“Good evening, Scotland, and welcome to Garden Grooves! I am Mario, and tonight we are combining garden inspiration with a touch of seasonal magic as we head into the heart of December.
This is the time of year when our gardens may look quiet, but beneath the surface, there is so much potential. Winter is about reflection, dreaming, and planning for the future of your outdoor space. Tonight, we will explore garden design ideas that work beautifully in a Scottish winter, share tips for keeping your space thriving, and play great tunes to match the mood.
Don’t forget you can message me LIVE using our Stirling community radio app and ask me anything gardening or landscaping related.
So, pour yourself something warm, settle in, and let’s groove into the garden.”
Up first….
Music
“December is the perfect time to think about your garden’s structure and design. With leaves gone and plants dormant, you can really see the bones of your space. Here are a few ways to enhance your garden design this winter:
Shape Your Space with Evergreen Plants: Incorporate hardy plants like holly, boxwood, or yew hedges to create a sense of structure. These evergreen additions ensure your garden stays vibrant through the colder months.
Play with Texture: Grasses like stipa tenuissima or carex bring movement and softness to your garden, even in the frost. Pair them with the sculptural beauty of bare tree branches or frosted seed heads.
Paths and Paving: Winter is the best time to assess the flow of your garden. Could you add a gravel path or a stone-paved area to make your space more accessible year-round? Think about it!
Focus on Seasonal Interest: Plants like winter heather, hellebores, and snowdrops can add bursts of colour and life even in December. And don’t forget, moss-covered stones or tree trunks can add a uniquely Scottish charm to your garden as well.”
Music
“While your garden might be quiet, there’s still plenty to do in December to keep it in good shape. Here are my top tips for winter gardening this month:
Protect Delicate Plants: Use mulch to insulate roots or wrap shrubs in burlap to shield them from frost. Scottish winters can be unpredictable, so a little protection goes a long way.
Prep Your Soil: Winter is the perfect time to add compost or well-rotted manure to your garden beds, giving the soil a head start for spring planting.
Prune and Tidy: Tidy up your fruit trees and shrubs by removing any dead or damaged branches. This encourages healthy growth in the spring. It’s wise to look up the RHS website for advice on pruning if you don’t feel confident.
Leave Some Wild Areas: Don’t clear everything! Leaving seed heads and piles of leaves provides shelter for wildlife like birds and insects—a small gift to nature this Christmas.”
“Remember, December gardening is as much about slowing down and appreciating the beauty of winter as it is about preparation. A frost-covered garden, with the low light of a winter sunset, can be just as breathtaking as the blooms of spring.”
My favourites:
Dogwood (Cornus) against the white papery bark of Betula otherwise known as Birch.. both available in different species and colours…
Music
“As the year draws to a close, it’s a good time to reflect on what worked well in your garden this year and what you might want to change in the year ahead. Did your wildflowers bloom as you’d hoped? Did your vegetables thrive?
Use this reflective season to think about the following…
New Additions: Maybe 2025 is the year you add a pond, a new seating area, or a border full of native Scottish wildflowers.
Research New Plants: Consider adding native Scottish plants like bluebells foxgloves, or even a thistle border to celebrate the local landscape.
Sustainability: Could you add a compost bin or try no-dig gardening to reduce your garden’s environmental impact? Small changes like these can make a big impact over time.
Personal Touches: Think about ways to make your garden uniquely yours, whether it’s through sculptures, unique paving patterns, or plants that have special meaning to you.
Gardens are deeply personal spaces—they’re as much about our stories as they are about the plants we grow.”
The iris is not just a beautiful flower but also symbolises wisdom, hope, and courage in various cultures. Named after the Greek goddess of the rainbow, it comes in a wide range of colours, just like a rainbow!
Music
Here’s a clever Christmas garden hack:
Use Leftover Pine Needles as Mulch!!!
If you have a real Christmas tree, don’t throw away the pine needles! After the holidays, collect the fallen needles and use them as mulch around your garden beds. They:
Retain moisture in the soil.
Suppress weeds naturally.
Enrich the soil slightly as they decompose.
Work well for acid-loving plants like blueberries, azaleas, and rhododendrons.
It’s an eco-friendly way to recycle your tree and give your garden some extra love!
Music
“That’s all for tonight on Garden Grooves. Thank you for spending this December evening with me, reflecting on the beauty of our gardens and planning for the seasons ahead. I’ll see you next week with a Christmas special episode, festive tunes, and inspiration to make this holiday season even brighter.
Until next, enjoy the winter magic in your garden. From me, Mario, have a peaceful evening. Goodnight!”