Local gardener and garden designer Gary Baverstock of Baverstock Gardens is a regular contributor to Rye News giving us his tips and tricks for planning and improving your garden. This year, with the shortest day thankfully now behind us and the earliest of plants starting to stretch and bloom Gary has given some more useful garden tips below.
Gary says “I’m grateful for the different seasons but a winter person I am not! However, I’m a gardener and garden designer at heart. It is in my blood. Even on the coldest days I spend a few minutes pottering and fussing in the garden. Indoors, I’m never far away from a plant book or catalogue”.
Winter is the perfect time to cast a critical eye over our gardens. “The garden structure is revealed, providing the perfect opportunity to add new borders, paths, benches and other focal points that set the stage on which the garden is built. Plants are always the stars of the show. But every element of the garden is built upon is the foundation of the one before”.
Gary understands that it’s sometimes hard to see the wood for the trees, which is when the services of a professional gardener and designer can help by taking a fresh look at your garden, bringing new ideas, insight and solutions.
“A full garden design is often the best course of action. But sometimes it is simpler than that. A few hours of walking and talking in the garden, or some plain old fashioned hands in the soil gardening, can be all that’s needed”.
Gary’s many years of practical experience and professional expertise have made him sensitive to the needs of his clients and their gardens. He says he is also respectful of the environment, animals and insects that share our gardens with us encouraging earth-friendly gardening practices, including organic, biodynamic and veganic approaches.
Seasonal Tips
Here are some practical things to do at this time of year in the garden and on the vegetable plot:
- Review the structure of your garden
- Plan what to plant and where
- Last chance to winter prune apple and pear trees
- Prune wisteria stems back to 3-4 buds if you want them to bloom
- Cut back ornamental grasses
- Empty and clean out pots in readiness for spring
- Start chitting your early potatoes
- Organise your seed packets
- Mulch borders to prevent weeds
- Welcome more wildlife by adding a water source, roosting and nesting sites, and plants that provide food throughout the year
- Visit gardens open to the public. This a great time of year to discover the physical structure of their design.
A gallery of Gary’s recent work can be seen below and on his website which shows photographs of projects both large and small, rural and urban. He also designs and makes furniture and features for the garden using found, recycled and repurposed materials. His online shop has a range of outdoor tables, auricula theatres, planters and much more but if you don’t see what you are looking for he can design and build items unique to your needs.
Image gallery – recent work
Image Credits: Gary Baverstock , Gary Baverstock .