Over-wintering is the nurturing of plants throughout the cold season, by bringing that plant into a warmer environment (such as a heated greenhouse, your home or garage etc). If left outside, they would typically not survive due to the low temperatures.

The UK climate dictates that certain plants require over-wintering, although many of these would survive as perennials in warmer climes; Primrose, Polyanthus, Violas and Pansies for example.

What are the benefits?

One of the key benefits to over-wintering is an earlier display of colour in your garden. Annuals that have been over-wintered from the previous autumn will already be strong enough to plant out by mid-February to mid-March. Perennials that have been over-wintered will bring a fanfare of flowering – the first year they’re in your garden.

What are the difficulties? Over-wintering definitely makes sense; it can certainly save you money if done properly. However, there are several pitfalls which can make it a risky or inappropriate solution.

It’s very important that plants are brought indoors before first frost. Any plant experiencing frost damage will find it difficult to recover and the energy expended on rescuing them may, simply not be worth it.

You will need space – how much depends on how many plants you’re looking to over-winter. And not just any space either. Your annuals will need to be in a position where there is consistent warmth and light – essentially you are trying to fool them into believing they are in their natural habitat.

Avoid pests and diseases. Bringing plants indoors can also bring pests and diseases which can, at best, infect other plants or, at worst, introduce a new pest to the house…..

Maintenance is key throughout the entirety of the growing period – it’s ongoing too. You need to continually monitor for growth, moisture, pest and disease issues. At any point, your work could be for nothing.

Why buy over-wintered plants?

Ultimately, there are several reasons to choose over-wintered bedding and perennials. If space is at a premium then Over-wintered bedding is an ideal solution – as someone else will have used their space to maintain these plants. Also, because they’re more mature, they’re ready to plant straight out into your garden – meaning you can bring bedding colour to your garden as early as March. Likewise, if you just can’t wait till next year for that Lobelia, Gaillardia or Aquilegia (or any perennial) to flower – Over-wintered perennials are the answer.

To over-winter or not to over-winter?

All-in-all it’s important to make the right decision for you. Over-wintering plants can be seen as very difficult, not to mention space and time consuming, or as an exciting challenge to your gardening skills.

For those of you who would prefer to enjoy the benefits of over-wintered annuals and perennials without the risks, Gardening Direct are delighted to offer a range of Over-wintered perennials and Over-wintered annuals – we’re despatching from mid-February onwards, but we’ve limited stock available.

If you’ve more questions or you’d like to let others know more about over-wintering then head to our Facebook page today.

Found for the very first time in 2003, Downy Mildew is a disease caused by the fungus-like organism Plasmopara Obducens.

Downy Mildew is only likely to occur during wet summers and the recent outbreak was confined to Impatiens Walleriana, commonly known as the Busy Lizzie.

Have your Busy Lizzies suffered?

If so, you’ll have spotted the leaves of the plants turning yellow before rapidly shedding, as well as a fine white fungal growth on the lower leaf surface. You’ll have also noticed that the flowers will shed much faster and the plant has been reduced to bare branches with just a small tuft of yellow leaves and flower buds at the top.

So, how do you control Downy Mildew?

Dispose of affected plants as soon as possible by burning them or burying them deeper than 50cm. As soil contamination may occur, rest affected areas from Impatiens for at least a year, as some species of Plasmopara affect other plants and produce resting spores that can survive for years after.

If you’ve grown Busy Lizzies in containers and they’ve become infected, simply replace the compost and wash using a garden disinfectant, following the instructions on the bottle. This is to cleanse the container if you wish to grow Impatiens in it the following year. Any other bedding plants, however, can be grown without risk as the disease is specific to Impatiens.

Now for some good news…

Here at Gardening Direct we stock a range of Busy Lizzies, many of which are resistant to Downy Mildew. Take a look at our range at www.gardeningdirect.co.uk.

The Chelsea Flower Show Soundtrack

Over the past few days, I’ve started to find myself returning to my favourite areas time and again – continually building on my encyclopedic knowledge. I have to say that the combination planting of deep purple heucera and astilbe is absolutely fabulous.

There’s definitely been a few suprises too – even in areas I thought I’d fully discovered! With the awards flying around there’s clearly a number of honours, but how’s this for an honour of a different kind – a new variety of carnivorous plant called ‘Helen’ is on show – named after Helen Mirren?

I even took a photo of the plinth as proof (in case anyone thinks it could be the first of April):

Our friends at Dibley Nursery have shown an incredible bi-coloured Sreptocarpus – Harlequin. They’ve recieved special mention this year and we’ll shortly be launching a Streptocarpus collection that includes their award winner from last year!

Whilst there’s clearly an opportunity to push boundaries at Chelsea, I’ve always felt that the best gardens are those which can be adapted in some way for our gardens at home. This seems to have been lost on Diarmuid Gavin who (as I’m sure you’re already more than aware) decided to hoist a giant eye-shaped metal structure 50ft into the sky – any suggestions on what he was thinking at the time.

Once you have been amazed at the show gardens, spent a fortune in the Great Pavillion and bought the latest gadget on Eastern Avenue there is nothing better than that moment when you decide to stop for a moment.

Take a picnic or buy a sandwich and sit down (amazingly Chelsea supply just about enough chairs). Pretty soon you will tune out the sound of the crowd and notice that live music is filtering through.

Virtually all day long there is a constant parade of live musicians. Not for Chelsea rock or pop – good god no, but a gentle mix of different ensembles and brass bands.

The crowds favorite seemed to be the Guards Association Band that played everything from ‘Summertime’ to ‘God Save The Queen’ to great applause. Chelsea is not just about the gardens but a celebration of summer life.

Postcard From Wales – ‘Did they forget to weed’

The Artisan Gardens used to be called the Courtyard Gardens. This year, as always, they are an eclectic mix of the slightly bizarre (the Basildon Bond garden has a wall made of paper that ripples and blows in the wind) and the beautifully crafted.

Smaller than the main show gardens they are located down a beautiful woodland like walkway and the designers have been encouraged to use natural materials. The crowds here are frequently less than in other areas and it is possible to get a better look.

One of the most notable is the Art of Yorkshire Garden (take a look at yesterdays blog for a picture) which uses a variety of traditional stone materials to create amazingly crisp and contemporary walls, paths and borders. Add to this a planting scheme that looks like you might just be able to achieve it at home and this is truly a treat.

The Australia Garden boasts curved paths, interesting plantings and also manages to achieve a sense that you could feasibly live with this garden.

The Times Eureka Garden hosts an amazing garden building, complimented by beautiful combination plantings.

Postcard from Wales is a fantastical creation. Looking like some giant digger has managed to transport a large chunk of the welsh countryside from Wales to London it is so natural looking two men in the crowed were heard to comment ‘good lord…did they forget to weed’. Somehow not everyone gets Chelsea I guess.