This week there has been quite a lot to do in the garden, as I haven't been out there for a 'marathon session' for quite a few weeks. The first job was to secure the new shoots of the Wisteria which seems to have put on another growth spurt.

I've tied in the new, strong shoots to the wire framework on the wall, and this will give the climber it's structure for future years. From there I pruned back each of the whippy growths to five plump buds. It's these same stems which in February, I'll cut back to three buds. For more help on how to do this, take a look back under the 'pruning tools' section of the website for the video blog we filmed a few weeks ago on how to prune Wisteria.

When we originally planted the borders here, we improved the soil with lots of organic matter, and although this has meant that plant growth has been exceptional, the number of worms in the soil has also increased. This in itself is great, especially for the local bird population! There is a drawback though, and that is that every morning, without fail, the paths adjacent to the borders are always covered with soil where our little feathered friends have been scratching around.

I can't decide weather to just keep sweeping It back into the border, or to lay a 50mm layer of gravel over the whole border. The gravel option would also lock in much need moisture from the winter rain, and cut down on weeding too. Oh, the moral dilemmas of the modern gardener!!!

 
Tools of the week