What to do in the garden in January

Nandina domestica sprinkled with frost

I’ve just begun to notice how the days are gradually getting longer, the daylight is managing to stretch throughout to 5 p.m., inching its’ way to spring. The last few days have been freezing at night and cold and bright during the day, my favourite type of winter weather.

In my garden the pale green snouts of spring bulbs poking their way through the soil have stalled while they wait for warmer times and I’m following their lead. There’s not much to be done in the garden in freezing weather anyway, grass and soil can be damaged by walking on it, so I’m staying inside ordering plants and planning what to grow at the allotment. Once it all warms up and the soil isn’t frozen, these are a few things to be done to keep the garden ticking over nicely:

• Planting –  Bare-root pants are only available during the winter, so there’s still time to get them planted, they’re much cheaper than plants in pots and there won’t be any plastic pots to throw away, so it makes good sense. I’m trying to get myself organised to buy bare-rooted peonies and roses, they’re some of my favourite flowers.
• Hellebores – Cut off the big, old leaves that look a bit ragged, you’ll be able to see the flowers better too. Leaves that have brown spots on them indicate a fungal disease, so don’t put them on the compost bin.

Hellebore flower

• Dahlias – check tubers that are stored in sheds and greenhouses to make sure they’re frost-free, and not damp.
• Lawns – Avoid walking on them when they’re frozen and damaging the brittle grass, they look so pretty but it’s best to admire them from inside the house.

my frozen lawn

• Sharpen sécateurs and loppers read for the year ahead, branches and stems will be torn and damaged by cutting them with blunt blades and the wounds can become infected.

How is your January garden looking, feel free to leave a comment below.

You can buy bare-root peonies here and roses here.

Happy gardening Jill

all photos: Jill Anderson

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