The Gardener's Guide

JANUARY

January is the time for fresh starts, so our January Gardener's Guide is here to help you get ready for the gardening year ahead. It may be cold, but find a dry and (hopefully) sunny day to get to work.

- Prune climbing roses while they’re still dormant.
- Remove any damaged, dead or diseased branches from apple and pear trees.
- Cut back ivy and other climbers that have outgrown their space.

- Clear away soggy stems, old plants and weeds, then dig over the soil - compost them as you go.
- Check any supports, ties or stakes you placed last year haven’t been damaged by storms or harsh December weather.
- Continue to look after the creatures that call your garden home. Take some time to clean and scrub your bird feeders to maintain hygiene, then leave out some high energy birdfood for hungry birds. Don’t forget to fill birdbaths with fresh water, taking care to melt ice with warm water on particularly frosty days.

- January is the perfect time to plant snowdrops and hellebores.
- Plant bare-root fruit trees, roses, shrubs and hedging into enriched soil provided the ground isn't waterlogged or frozen.
- If you have some sunny sites with free-draining soil, plant raspberry canes. In more acidic soil areas, plant blueberries.

- Get ready for vegetables by ordering asparagus plants and preparing their beds now. This way, you can put your crowns straight into the ground when they arrive.
- Prepare your ground for peas by placing a cloche over the soil a few weeks before sowing to warm it up.
- Shopping list
  - Summer-flowering bulbs like gladioli and dahlia tubers - to plant when the winter frosts are over.
  - Seed potatoes, onions and garlic - to plant in spring.