News - Page 97

The glamorously showy six-pointed blooms of amaryllis in every shade from festive scarlet to purest white are a treat for the eyes in midwinter, brightening up many a Christmas windowsill.

The Duchess of Cambridge has marked the 10^th anniversary of the Campaign for School Gardening by visiting a garden in a London school.

December is a month when we’re all a bit distracted by the mad rush that is Christmas. But take time out to go outside and enjoy a crisp sunny winter’s day in the garden, and you’ll dive back into the festive frenzy newly refreshed. Here are some of the jobs you can be getting on with this month.

Make your own Christmas wreath from plants you’re growing in the garden and you can create a truly personal decoration to hang on the door to welcome your guests for the festive season.

Plant strawberries now so they have a chance to get their roots down before spring, as well as getting the spell of frosty weather they need to produce flowers and set fruit for a bumper crop of luscious, fat sweet berries next summer.