December is the 'perfect time' to prune popular plant - four tasks to do next month

December may not seem like the best month to go out in the garden but there are plenty of jobs to do (Image: Getty)

While most people's gardens are likely looking a little worse for wear after weeks of cold temperatures and rain, there are still plenty of tasks to get done.

Frost, torrential rain, and snow may deter you from setting foot outside, but if you complete these tasks now, your gardens will bounce back beautifully come spring.

With this in mind, gardening experts at Barnsdale Gardens have shared which tasks gardeners need to do next month to ensure your outdoor space thrives next year.

Barnsdale Gardens, located in Rutland, is home to Britain's largest collection of individually designed gardens.

From pruning to planting and storing, there is plenty to do, according to the garden experts.

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Prune wisteria

This beautiful climbing plant produces gorgeous lilac, white and pink flowers in late spring and summer and can often be seen cascading down houses.

At this time of year, the plant's leaves turn yellow and start to drop off, which, according to the experts, is the "perfect time to prune" them.

Wisteria needs to be pruned twice a year, once in late summer and once in winter. The previous prune removed summer growth and cut all the shoots back to six buds.

Now, the plant needs to have its growth halved, and every shoot needs to be cut back to three buds from the previous year's growth.

Plant tulips

Tulip bulbs need to be planted between September and November; however, the experts at Barnsdale said it's been so wet lately that they've had to wait until December.

Plant tulips at twice the depth of the bulb (roughly 8cm) and keep them moist if they are being planted in containers.

Cover ground for early crops

The ground needs to be prepared if you want to plant early crops such as multi-sown beetroot, carrots, leeks, and turnips.

To make sure the ground is in the right condition, it needs to be prepared and then covered so it doesn't get too wet. Gardeners can use polythene to cover the area or just a cloche depending on the area that needs to be covered.

When you're ready to plant your crops, remove the cover and get planting.

Store leeks

If the weather is particularly cold, gardeners should dig a few leeks into a trench. This ensures they have some available when they can’t even get their spades in the ground, let alone harvest them.

If the weather turns out not to be as severe as forecast, then use them as and when required.