It can be difficult to force ourselves back into the garden in January, but it’s an important green month. Whether it’s in the vegetable garden, the flowerbed or the lawn; there are (unfortunately) quite a few tasks to do in the first month of the year. Think on the positive side, that cold that you’ve picked up over Christmas will benefit from some fresh air…
Amongst the flowers…
Any rose bushes now will need pruning, whilst they’re having their winter sleep. In their dormant state, you need to prune to just above the buds and get rid of any dead branches. Any bare root roses can be planted in sunny areas, to bloom in summer.
If you’ve cut back some of the flowers which have given up the ghost and want to add some winter colour to the garden, invest in evergreen Clematis which flowers during the colder months and brings a splash of life to what can feel like a very grey month.
Any ornamental grasses will need old foliage removing, with the shoots trimmed to a 2 or 3 centimetres. Similarly, take the clippers to the older stems of any perennials and look out for new growth.
Around the garden…
If you’re (un)lucky enough to have had snowfall, make sure you don’t let it sit on your hedges and conifers. You don’t want any snapped branches during the winter months, as recovery can be difficult.
Birds will be on the lookout for easier food during frosty and snowy months, so make sure your feeders are well-stocked. Attract birds to your garden now and they’ll often hang around all year to keep your pests at bay. You’ll have to keep filling the feeders, mind…
If you don’t have any water storage containers, invest in some for the inevitable rain that will start coming over the next couple of months. Rainwater is much better than tap water for plants, and much cheaper than Evian… Tap water is normally a little alkaline, and many plants prefer neutral or acidic water.
Homes with central heating are infamously non-humid, which indoor plants do not appreciate. Mist them regularly and elevate them above a tray of water to increase the general humidity around them.
Make a garden and vegetable plan, so you can start to order your seeds and bulbs. There’s nothing worse than stumbling across a beautiful day and wishing you had what you needed to get your new year garden going. The same applies for fruit trees, which will need planting in the spring.
Eden Restored is a team of passionate garden designers working throughout London, Kent and Surrey.
We deliver value-for-money on projects of any size, from inner-city courtyards to countryside cottages.
To discuss your ideas and how we can help throughout the entire process, get in touch.