Move trees and shrubs now …

… while the soil is relatively warm. If a plant has got to be moved, dig around, as far from the base as you can and as deep as possible, to take up a large area of the root.

If it’s a very big shrub you may have to enlist the help of a kind friend. Wrap the roots in hessian or polythene sheeting under the root ball to retain moisture. Tie the sheet up and move the plant to its new location. Dig a hole big enough to take the root ball without having to cram the roots in.

Be sure to plant to the same depth as before. Put the plant in the hole, pull the wrapping out from under the roots and gradually fill in the hole. Work the soil right in and gently firm with your boot as you go. Water in well and stake the plant if it’s in an exposed place.

Container trees and shrubs

Plant container-grown trees and shrubs now while the soil is still warm. This means that the roots can become established before winter sets in and the plants will get off to a flying start in the spring. Because the soil is relatively moist there’s no need to pay much attention to watering, saving you time.

Bulbs

Now is the perfect time to plant bulbs in your garden, before the ground becomes too wet or cold.

There are hardly any areas of a garden that bulbs can’t be planted and they are a very useful addition to a planting scheme for garden design in Berkshire. Even if you don’t have a garden they could be put in a pot.

You can plant bulbs between shrubs or herbaceous plants, in rock gardens or in the lawn.

A rule of thumb when planting bulbs is to plant each bulb twice as deep as its height.

If you are buying from a garden centre most bulbs will come with instruction as to the ideal depth, but it can get a little confusing, so I just remember that the bigger the bulb the deeper into the ground it will need to go. This is because the larger the bulb, the larger the eventual growth will be.