In the Garden: January

Although January can be one of the coldest, bleakest months of the year, it is also the time when we see the first promise of spring. Delicate buds appear and new shoots emerge revealing the treasures of the New Year.

Beautiful snowdrops spread like a carpet across the bare winter ground and brightly coloured stems of dogwoods cheer up the garden in the mist and frost.

You may want to put your feet up than brave the elements outside, but there are plenty of jobs to get on with at this time of year if weather allows. Improving and mulching the soil, helps keep the weeds down and can do wonders for your borders and plants next season, time well spent now will prove worthwhile later in the year with healthier plants and longer flowering.

To do list:

• Improve the soil with organic compost or well rotted manure
• Move plants or shrubs, lift and divide overgrown clumps of perennials
• Prune fruit trees and bushes
• Prune Wisteria
• Continue weeding
• Clean out the greenhouse
• Spike lawns to help drainage-(keep off lawns in frost or snow)

How to: Create Winter Interest

Plants: Avoid the temptation to cut back all dead foliage from plants as the seed heads and structure of these plants provide an eye-catching display in glittery frosts, they also provide food for birds. Evergreen hedges, trees and shrubs create definition and shape to the garden; keep them neatly clipped for crisp clear lines.

Hard Landscaping: Clear paths and uncluttered paving areas work best in winter, so try and have a good clear out. Consider containers and climbing plants to soften hard landscaping features, and brighten up those dark days.

Focal Points: Creating focal points helps draw the eye to a particular view or space in the garden. Empty winter spaces can be enlivened with a decorative bird bath or a seat with an arbour or willow sculpture.

Gardening Tips For January 2011

• Keep on top of winter germinating weeds
• Clear the crowns of plants of damp leaves
• Continue with winter digging as soil conditions allow
• Check newly planted trees and shrubs and re-firm if lifted by the frost
• Brush snow of heavily laden trees, shrubs and hedges before the weight breaks or splays branches
• Sow sweet peas under cover
• Chit early potatoes
• Sow early vegetable crops under cover

Work in the garden in January can be very dependant on the weather. If weather and ground conditions allow this is a good time of year to plant a new deciduous hedge such as Beech, Hawthorn or Hornbeam.

The cheapest way to buy hedging is as young barerooted plants known as whips.

To prepare the ground, dig a trench to the depth of your spade, incorporate well rotted organic matter into the bottom of the trench, then cover this with the soil that was dug out initially.

Space the young plants out along the length of the trench, planting them and firming them in with the heel of your boot.

In exposed sites a windbreak of plastic mesh on the windward side of the hedge will help the plants establish.

February Gardening Tips

• Prune winter flowering shrubs that have finished flowering
• Prune off old stems of herbaceous perennials
• Start Dahlia tubers into growth
• Divide and plant snowdrops
• Re-pot or topdress shrubs in containers
• Prepare seedbeds for vegetables
• Plant shallots out in well prepared soil
• Sow the following crops in pots or trays in the greenhouse, ready to transplant;

      Brussels sprouts, spring cabbage, cauliflower, onions, leeks, lettuce and salad    leaves.

For those of you keen to get out in to the garden for your first serious bit of work February is a good month to start preparing vegetable garden for the years anticipated crops.

Soil that has been covered with polythene for a while should be dry enough to start preparing ready for sowing next month.

Rake the soil until it is level removing any large stones, apply an organic fertiliser about 2 weeks before sowing, and the nutrients will be available for germinating plants.

If you cover the prepared soil with polythene or cloches it will keep off the worst of the winter rain and snow, as well as warming up the soil enabling earlier sowing and planting outdoors. By using cloches it is possible to harvest crops 3 weeks earlier than expected.

Add lime to any beds where you are growing sprouts, cabbages or cauliflowers as these all like alkaline soil. Lime should be added at least two months before planting, so do it now and the beds will be ready for you to transplant your seedlings.