What To Do In Your Garden In January

It’s a tricky time of the year for the garden.  There’s no need to do too much at this time of year, but there a few jobs you could be getting under your belt whilst there’s not a lot else to do. So what can you do to be productive in your garden this January?

• • • • January is a great time to start garden preparation.  If you haven’t already dug over the vegetable beds then a milder, dry day would be a good one to get this task done.  If there is any frost after it has been dug, it will help break down the soil improving its texture.

      • If you haven’t already made garden plans for next year this is the perfect time.  The bonus is that a lot of this work can be done indoors.  Draw out a plan and decide what you want to plant.  Is this year going to one with a vegetable gardening focus?  Or maybe you’d like to have a herb garden?  Alternatively, you could really inject some colour and scent into your flower borders.  Now is the time to pour over those seed and bulb catalogues.  You can get on with buying seed potatoes or packets of seeds.

      • Care for your winter bedding.Winter bedding needs dead heading just the same as summer bedding to prolong flowering. If anything, it can be more important with winter bedding which tends to struggle against the weather to flower. Dead head violas, pansies and cyclamens.  They will reward with more flowers.

      • If you have black spot on Hellebores, it’s best to remove the diseased leaves. It may seem dramatic, but you really can remove many if not most of the leaves from the Hellebore without it suffering at all. Some professional growers routinely remove the leaves to better display the flowers, so it won’t do the plant any harm.
      • Protect any tender plants from winter frosts.  January is often the time when we get the harshest weather.
      • Try to avoid standing or walking on a frosty lawn.  You might damage the grass.
    • Consider feeding garden wildlife.  Birds struggle at this time of year, but be sure that you remove any spillage at the end of the day to discourage rats and protect other wildlife from unsuitable food.  Foxes will appreciate cat or dog food as will any hedgehogs emerging from hibernation.  It’s also important to provide water that isn’t frozen for wildlife to drink and birds to bathe in.  It’s easy enough to replace water each day to prevent it icing over.
    • Generally there’s no need to tidy up.  Leaving some vegetation to rot down over winter is good for providing a wildlife friendly garden.  For once it’s ok to put your feet up and not do chores, so make the most of it.
    • Consider what looks good at this time of the year in other gardens and consider planting some of that plant near your house or visible from your windows.  Next winter you could be enjoying a better view.