As the days get longer, the cold gets stronger! But as the garden plants are
mostly dormant now this is a wonderful time for reflection and planning. On
those long winter evenings or rainy days when we are not clearing out the shed,
there is often a list of things that one has just not got round to doing. If you
have not yet thought about your seed for the new year, get cracking now for it
will not be long before the first sowings will need to begin.
But January is a great month to think about the structure of the garden, and if
you have thought about a feature, or a path now is the time to plan and prepare.
When the weather permits old paths and walls can be repaired and restored,
Overgrown walls, paths, trellis etc can be cleared of ivy and dead wood and
repaired. Winter pruning can be done for most trees and shrubs. Lawns can be
repaired and top dressed.
The ash from winter bonfires can be spread over herbaceous beds and the compost
can be cleared and spread as a mulch on the borders too, and also of course on
the vegetable garden. Digging can now be done if the weather allows, and deep
digging with some well rotted farmyard manure will benefit many of the
vegetables. It is important that you make a plan for the vegetable garden now to
avoid digging in fresh manure where you are going to plant your carrots and
parsnips for example.
Seed potatoes will soon be in the shops so if you are not to be disappointed,
think about which varieties you would like to grow and buy them early. Put them
in a frost free place where there is plenty of light and let them chit. Prepare
your pea beds- they like a lot of well rotted manure and can be sown early when
the ground is still quite cool. (think about the mice and catch them now!) Same
for parsnips and onion sets and broad beans. If you have a heated greenhouse you
can think about sowing tomatoes and leeks in January but a windowsill in a
heated house will do. Remember though that once the tomatoes are up they will
not tolerate frost!
If the weather is bad and there is snow, go round the garden and shake it off
the shrubs so that it does not break the branches. After it has rained wash the
outside of the greenhouse to allow maximum light in. This is a good time to
start pruning your fruit bushes and trees and canes if not done already. Tie in
your raspberry canes and loganberry canes, There is still time to plant new
fruit trees and bushes. If the weather is mild you can lift and divide
herbaceous plants and perennials too. Cover some rhubarb crowns with an old
bucket or barrel to force some.
The spring bulbs will soon be showing their heads. Inspect your dahlia tubers
and begonias and discard any that are rotten. Tend to any cuttings which you
took in the autumn, and start thinking about any flower seeds you might want to
sow this year. Bedding plants are getting so expensive these days you can grow
quite a lot quite easily if you have the space. For example I always sow some
alyssum in my non heated greenhouse, and I cover them with a cloche inside the
greenhouse. (Well the cloches are not being used for anything else at this time
of the year.)
As you can see there is lots to be doing – so get cracking! Happy gardening in
the New Year!
The Gardening Year