Winter

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As the cold and short days are upon us, we should make plans for the seasons ahead and catch up on reading and surfing the net for gardening information.  Flowers are more than a welcome site in these cold months.  A splash of colour in the right place can command full attention, especially if planted against a dark background where their flowers can easily be seen.  In addition to flowers (many scented), the stems and twigs of certain shrubs and trees can add decorative interest in many forms and colours; Acer griseum offers intense warm colours in its peeling bark, that is a feature not only in Winter but throughout the year.  Berries are another delight in the Winter time, being both pleasing to the eye as well as providing a vital source of food to our little feathered friends when food is so scarce.  Conifers and evergreen shrubs are an essential ingredient in the Winter garden, providing various colours and foliage.  They look especially effective planted with ornamental grasses.
Click below to download leaflets for Autumn monthly garden jobs . . . Plants For Winter Interest
Plants that look fantastic at this time of year are:
  • Acer Griseum - Paperbark Maple
  • Crocus
  • Cornus - Dogwood
  • Galanthus nivalis - Snowdrops
  • Garrya elliptica
  • Hamamelis - Witch Hazel
  • Helleborus niger - Christmas Rose
  • Ilex - Holly
  • Iris reticulata
  • Jasminum nudiflorum - Winter Jasmine
  • Mahonia
  • Pyracantha (attractive coloured berries) 
  • Viburnum bodnantense 'Dawn'
  • Viburnum tinus - Eve Price

Winter Gardening Jobs
The garden can look ugly at this time of year with piles of leaves and died down vegetation, congregating in corners and flower beds, so . . . wrap up warm, ready to tackle the few essential jobs in tidying and preparing for Spring.
FRUIT  Prune soft fruit, removing old stems.  Spray trees with Winter wash.
SHRUBS   Visit the garden centre to purchase Winter flowers, to plant when the soil conditions improve.
LAWNS  Get the mower serviced ready for Spring.
GREENHOUSE  Clean and disinfect, ready for the Spring season. Sow seeds into modules to save time and space. If you don't already own a greenhouse, we have a great range on display.
FLOWERS  Plan what you are going to grow this season for bedding and herbaceous borders. Grow from seed or alternatively, choose from our wide range of baby plants from our 'Home Grown Range', available February to June. Fill any gaps in tubs with Winter flowering Pansies.
VEGETABLES  Seed potatoes and onion sets, Seeds and Summer bulbs arel all be available for sale from mid - end January.
GENERAL MAINTENANCE  Clean up paths and patios with moss and slime cleaner like Armillatox.
DON'T FORGET THE BIRDS  Here at All-In-One, we have a comprehensive selection of Wild Bird Care products including nuts, seeds and fat snax and a great range of feeders and houses to keep their little peckers up during the cold, Winter months and our selection of finely crafted bird tables from Peter Smith is second to none. We also offer a range of plants to encourage wildlife to your garden - click here to download your free guide.

Allow Your Fish To Breath Easy This Winter!
POND HEATERS  A Winter Life Saver - not only for your fish, but for the surrounding wildlife that need access to water in the big freeze.  The purpose of a pond heater is to ensure that there is an adequate oxygen supply for the fish into your pond.  Only during the Summer months, do aquatic plants produce oxygen, so in Winter, fish have to rely on oxygen which enters the water via the surface of the pond.
If your pond ices over, your fish are entirely dependent upon whatever oxygen is present in the water, therefore, by keeping a small hole melted in the ice, allows sufficient oxygen to enter the pond.  An iced over pond is like keeping fish in a sealed container with a lid on - not only can this suffocate the fish, but it prevents toxic gases from escaping, which are created by decaying vegetation and waste on the bottom of the pond.  Breaking the ice is not suitable as this can cause harm to the fish.  Using a pond heater creates holes in the ice, allowing these gases to escape.
POND TONIC SALT  Prevention is always better than cure   Pond salt assists the pond owner in safeguarding against fish disease.  Treatment each year minimises the build up of bacteria and parasites, which become active earlier on than fish, thus causing major problems to the fishes health.  Pond salt aids fish by cleaning small open wounds and will help the immune system of your fish to combat disease as well as killing parasites and over-wintered eggs.  The unique formula of pond tonic salt helps to create the perfect environment for pond fish, stablising the PH close to neutral and reducing the toxic effects of fish waste.
POND SKIMMER NETS  Fed up of sludge in your pond?  Stop sludge before it happens by regularly skimming the surface of the water to remove dead leaves and debris before it sinks and rots to cause sludge and ammonia build up.  Use pond hand nets to do this.  Alternatively, pond cover nets are the most effective way of keeping leaves out of the water and at the same time, they offer protection from predators, such as birds, cats and herons.  Skimming nets and cover nets are available in a range of sizes and help to enable you to keep a crystal clear pond all year round.