It’s January and the start of a new gardening year. Despite the wintery weather here are some jobs you can be doing in your own garden this month:-
- Complete winter pruning of fruit trees;
- Prune wisteria shortening summer pruned shoots back to two or three buds from old wood;
- Remember to water planted containers in sheltered positions so that they do not dry out;
- Sow sweet peas indoors, individually in root trainers or 9cm pots. Autumn sown seedlings can be potted on now if necessary;
- Check tree ties and stakes on established plants are secure and neither too tight nor too slack;
- Add shrubs with winter interest to your border (check out our plant of the month for suggestions);
- Feed Christmas flowering amaryllis fortnightly to build up the bulb once flowers fade;
- Move Christmas flowering bulbs outdoors once they have finished flowering. Remove dead flowerheads and feed regularly with a high potassium fertiliser until foliage dies down.
- Lag outdoor pipes with insulation such as bubble wrap to stop them bursting in icy weather;
- Renovate deciduous hedges;
- Cut away tired old leaves of hellebores to show off their flowers;
- Plan your garden for the year ahead by looking through seed catalogues at your leisure in the warmth of your own home!