Gardening is, of course, a therapeutic activity for body and soul, which greatly rewards the effort you put into your plot. Anticipating and preparing for the year ahead is all part of the process, enabling you not just to get the best results from your planting, but also providing a sense of purpose and rhythm to the days and months stretching ahead.
Start the new gardening year prepared. Ensure you have everything clean and ready – sharpen your tools, service the lawnmower, repair fences, tidy the greenhouse, and check your compost bin is healthy and working well.
Then it’s time to seek inspiration. Leaf through catalogues, magazines and books to compile a list of plants and ideas you’d like to incorporate into your garden in the coming year. Look carefully at the needs of the flowers you like, the mature heights of trees and the maintenance required. If necessary, call in a garden designer who can help with creating structure or planting plans. Let’s grow…
JANUARY
This is a month for planning. Spend some time looking at your garden to assess its structure, deciding how to develop it. Start raising seeds, keep paths clear of fallen leaves, and begin preparing garden beds.
• Prune deciduous trees and shrubs and remove damaged branches.
• Deadhead pansies to keep them flowering.
• Lift and divide snowdrops ‘in the green’ after they have flowered.
• If you have shallow soil, try building raised beds.
• Brush snow from conifers and evergreens to stop the branches from bowing or breaking.
• Plant bare-root trees and roses if the ground isn’t frozen or waterlogged.
• After plenty of rain, mulch beds and borders with
