Tool of the Month - December 2018

The arrival of Winter

Here comes the frost, the shortest day of the year and the harshest season, winter.

A time for planning ahead to the summer, with not too many jobs required in the garden.

Here are this month's top ten jobs (according to Royal Horticultural Society):

• Check your winter protection structures are still securely in place
  
• Check that greenhouse heaters are working
  
• Insulate outdoor taps and prevent ponds from freezing
  
• Prune open-grown apples and pears (but not those trained against walls)
  
• Prune acers, birches and vines before Christmas to avoid bleeding
  
• Harvest leeks, parsnips, winter cabbage, sprouts and remaining root crops
  
• Deciduous trees and shrubs can still be planted and transplanted
  
• Take hardwood cuttings
  
• Keep mice away from stored produce
  
• Reduce watering of houseplants
  

Enjoy the last of your garden's bounty now!
Harvested from the ground, leeks are best when fresh but can be kept in the kitchen for a week or so. 

Gently lift out of the ground with a quality fork and enjoy.

This month's Tool of the Month is the Wolf Garten 7.5cm Flower Fork with fixed handle - LU2B.