Modern Gardens Magazine December 2021

Happy Christmas! After last year’s Yuletide restrictions, I’m thrilled to be getting together with family and friends for some festive fun. And my garden is providing me with a virus-avoiding winter wonderland of a venue to make the very most of it. The logstore is full to the brim in anticipation of evenings around the firepit and I’ve cleaned and angled the solar panels on all the festoons to make sure the lights are as twinkly as can be. The patio is freshly swept and the pots topped with pinecones, and I’ve treated myself to a snowy-white hellebore for the coffee table. The only zhuzhing left to do is to snip some ivy trails and give them a subtle shimmer of bronze spray paint before draping over the pergola beams.…

We LOVE this! MERRY BERRIES Weave through a plain wreath or a add to a garden climber for a celebratory feel. 15cm Luxury Christmas Natural Garland, £39.99 wayfair.co.uk SLOUCHY SEAT This outdoor lounger is just the ticket for a post-mince-pie-gorge! Laruna Armchair, Dark Acacia & Natural, £299 made.com SNUG AFTERNOONS Opt for a layer that’s extra, extra, extra cosy! Check Sherpa Throw, £25 cottontraders.com DECISIONS, DECISIONS! Will it be a naughty mulled wine or a nice cup of tea? Naughty/Nice List Mugs, £2.50 each wilko.com SANTA STYLE Nestle this quirky fellow among your pots for yuletide cheer. Christmas Candy Cane Gnome Garden Ornament, £20 matalan.co.uk FIR REAL Treat your garden to a Christmas tree for years to come. Fraser Fir Pot Grown Christmas Tree, from £64.99/60cm gardenersdream.co.uk PINE PRUNERS These steely-sharp secateurs will snip your tree into a neat shape, and you can use…

Growing pretty pea shoots on a windowsill is more than just an excuse for an Instagram shelfie. A concentrated source of vitamin A, C and K, they’ll help to counter all that festive partying and will be ready to pluck and add to soups and sandwiches less than a week after germinating. Fill a shallow container two thirds full of compost and sprinkle over pea seeds (try Pea Shoot Seeds, £1.59/675 seeds, simplyseed. co.uk), gently pushing some down into the compost. Finish with a light scattering of compost, water and place on your windowsill. To harvest, just snip from the shoots and, like Jack and his Beanstalk, they’ll magically grow again!…

Baby, it’s cold outside! But make the right choices when it comes to your outdoor lounging space and you can still achieve that warm, cosy and fuzzy feeling. The key is to opt for materials that emit warmth – actually or a feeling of – such as rattan furniture, cable-knit cushions and twinkly fairylights to create an enchanting ambience. We love a fire but a cantilever parasol festooned with bulbs will add style and substance to your space as well as providing warmth, light and shelter, and all without the smoke! Trend alert! GLOW FAUX Faux flames on pillar candles are just the ticket to solve wind woes. TruGlow Realistic Flame Candle, from £7.99 lights4fun.co.uk TAKE COVER Stick to subtle colours for blankets and throws, but with tassels for a playful twist. Grey Knitted Tassel…

3 GLORIOUS camellias CAMELLIA ‘WINTER’S CHARM’ £13.99/3L pot Resembling peonies, these showy, blush-pink flowers will look so charming in your winter garden. Choose a sheltered spot to protect the flowers and leaf buds from damaging chilly winds. Height 1.8m Spread 1.5cm. ashwoodnurseries.com CAMELLIA ‘JURY’S YELLOW’ £21/3L pot Enjoy masses of creamy-coloured flowers with ruffled, yellow centres, beautifully off-set by glossy, evergreen leaves. Best in a west-facing, partially shaded spot to protect the buds from sun damage. Height 3m Spread 2m. burncoose.co.uk CAMELLIA ‘YULETIDE’ £34.99/1.5L pot These striking crimson blooms with golden centres are especially festive and reach their peak just in time for Christmas. Like most camellias, it needs moist but well-drained, acidic soil – use ericaceous compost in a container. Height 3m Spread 2.5m. crocus.co.uk TWIST AND SHOUT! CORKSCREW HAZEL £11.99/40cm bareroot plant The crazily contorted branches of…

1 Wrap the pot in the paper and use the pencil to mark a line all around, just under the pot’s rim. 2 Holding the paper securely, mark a second line around the base of the pot, about 1cm in from the edge. 3 Unwrap the pot and cut out the marked shape. This will be the template for the fabric. 4 Paint the pot rim, inside and out. The lower edges don’t need to be neat as they’ll be covered by fabric and compost. 5 Paint the pot saucer all over and leave it and the pot to dry. If necessary, apply a second coat. 6 Lay the fabric face-down on a flat surface with the paper template on top. Draw around the shape then cut out. 7 Paint glue onto the body of the…