Winter Wonderland

Winter at the Headingley campus

As trees and shrubs have become dormant during the winter months (unless of course they are winter flowering), our tasks around the campus can change a fair bit. We've had a bit of frost so we have been out with our buckets of grit, spreading it on the paths to make it safe for staff, students and visitors alike.
Our day to day running of the campus in winter time mainly involves keeping on top of the weeding around all the buildings and collecting dead leaves that have accumulated at the bottom of stairwells and in the corners of buildings. As it has been rather mild we have been able to continue with some weeding but if the rain persists then even that can be called off. Unfortunately when the ground becomes so saturated with water we can’t step on as it causes such a muddy mess and isn't aesthetically pleasing at all.
When the rain has eased off and there's no chance of snow and the ground has dried out a bit, then we will be cutting back the roses on the borders of the James Graham building. These will ideally be cut back to a bud about a halfway down the stem, that way they still have some protection should we get frost and potentially snow. Then in March they will be cut down to the base to an outward facing bud to give a well rounded display of new growth in the summer, just in time for graduation.
From December to February we do plant barefoot deciduous trees and some of these can be seen at the student accommodation at Kirkstall Brewery. We have also planted some new trees in the Queenswood wood as part of the university’s biodiversity action plan.
Should the bad weather hold off then we will be able to use this time to cut back the shrubs across campus whilst they are dormant and get the borders looking tidy ready for their spring and summer blooms. If we do get a lot of frost then we won’t be able to do this as by cutting back the stems we are making them more susceptible to frost damage. A downward angle rather than a horizontal cut across the stem is needed, as this then provides a slope for the water to runoff so that it isn’t sitting on top of the stem causing damage.
Then, no doubt there will be some more frost, ice and snow. So I’m sure you’ll see the grounds team out there with our buckets and sticks spreading grit on the pavements, keeping the campus safe to walk around.


(The picture above was taken in January 2013 by myself in the Queenswood wood, and hopefully we won't get snow like that this year)

What to do at home in your garden in January

• Prune your wisteria to 2-3 buds on its summer shoots.
• Prune your roses and plant bare root roses. Ensure these aren’t planted where roses have already been as this will minimise potential disease transference.
• Cut back any old foliage from ornamental grasses to a few centimetres above ground.
• Cut down any old stems of perennial plants. Or leave them another month to allow biodiversity to thrive in your garden. The old hollow stems provide shelter for insects over the winter period.
• Remove old hellebore leaves to provide room for new growth to be visible.
• Cut back damaged, diseased and old stems of brightly coloured willows and thin out.
• Protect non frost-proof containers with bubble wrap, hessian or fleece, to prevent them from cracking.
• Collect any leaves and weeds from your tubs and borders.
• Plant barefoot deciduous trees.
• Prune your deciduous trees, such as beech and hazel, to create the shape you’re after whilst they are in their dormant season. The only exceptions are evergreens, tender plants and the Prunus species (cherry etc) as these are prone to silver leaf disease when pruned in autumn or winter.
• Now is the time to cut back vines and ivy to keep them away from windows, doors, gutters and roof tiles.