A Extra Thick Layer Of Protection

Shovelling Leaf Mould

With the overnight temperatures over the next three nights forecast to plummet to below freezing, -2 to -4 Celsius in Oxford, the gardeners need to protect the tender plants that remain within the herbaceous border. Beneath the surface the tubers of the dahlia, the rhizomes of the canna and hedychium, and the root balls of the hardy banana, Musa basjoo, all need an extra layer of protection for the winter. 

Barrowing The Leaf Mould

The protection, in the form of a extra thick layer of leaf mould of about 3-4 inches in depth, is barrowed on to the border and tipped over the plants that are most at risk from any future penetrating ground frost that may occur this winter. Over the coming weeks the rest of the border will be mulched with a much thinner layer of leaf mould as a soil conditioner and as a top dressing for the bare soil.

Tipping The Leaf Mould

A Leaf Mould Covering For Banana Root Balls

Leaf Mould Covering For A Dahlia Tuber