In this episode, Dan & Julia dispel the myth that winter gardens must be devoid of colour. Your hosts choose their favourite flowering and foliage plants to display in pots during the colder months, from shrubs to tiny bulbs. Dan reveals why the Japanese 'leisure knife' we call a Hori Hori has taken the gardening world by storm, and Julia explains how and when to plant onion sets - be quick, as time is running out! Your hosts round off with a list of jobs you can do in your garden over the next fortnight:

1. Mulch around plants and over empty beds and borders. Over winter, worms will busily pull the organic matter into the soil, improving its structure. 
2. Collect leaves and add them to your compost heap, or pack them into jute sacks. They'll slowly decompose to make leaf mould, one of the most precious ingredients in good compost. Shredding them will make them break down faster.
3. Brush paths with coarse sand or use a jet washer to remove moss and algae, which can become slippery when wet or icy.
4. In exposed gardens, reduce the height of tall shrubs such as roses, buddleia, and lavatera to prevent them from rocking in high winds. For the same reason, newly planted trees should be staked low down.
5. Turn off the water supply to outdoor taps and drain hosepipes before storing them. Install a water butt if you need a ready supply of water over winter.
6. If you've experienced blight, black spot, rust, or mildew this season, removing and destroying any infected plant matter is essential. 
7. Cutting off this year's hellebore leaves is a good idea, allowing an uncluttered view of the nodding blooms in spring.
8. Take a walk around the garden and inspect large shrubs and trees, noting any branches that appear as if they might fall. Remove them yourself using loppers or a pruning saw if you feel able. Call an arborist for a second opinion and to carry out the work if in doubt. Do the same exercise for fences, garden buildings and ornamental structures, such as pergolas. 
9. Give the lawn one last cut, avoiding emerging bulbs - some early-flowering varieties can appear above ground well before Christmas.
10. Order and plant bare-rooted plants. This is one of the cheapest and most environmentally friendly ways to create a hedge, rose garden, orchard or woodland area. 

Dan's Products of the Episode—Niwaki's Japanese Hori Horis—are available to buy at most of his events. Click here for details.

Dan & Julia's Favourite Plants for Winter Containers:

1. Iris reticulata 'George', 'Spot On', 'Katherine Hodgkin', 'Blue Note'
2. Narcissus'  Rijnveld's Early Sensation'
3. Aconites
4. Galanthus nivalis (snowdrop)
5. Helleborus niger and Helleborus x sahinii 'Winterbells'
6. Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire' (dogwood_
7. Sarcococca confusa (winter box)
8. Skimmia japonica
9. Edgeworthia chrysantha (paper bush)
10. Carex oshimensis 'Evergold'

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Gold Leaf Gloves

Produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

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