January

You might think January is a dead time of year in the garden, but not necessarily so. Over the past 10 years our winters have got warmer, and it's now quite usual for winter aconites and snowdrops to start flowering in January. Shrubs such as winter honeysuckle, witch hazel and viburnum bodnantense will add colour and gorgeous fragrance to the garden, and evergreens and conifers will ensure your plot looks good on the greyest days. So, if the view from your window is bare and dull, now's the time to decide on new planting to liven things up. Although January is often bitterly cold and wet there may be the odd bright day. Take the opportunity to mulch your soil using  soil conditioners, then sit back and let the worms do the hard work for you.

ESSENTIAL JOBS CHECKLIST FOR JANUARY
Mulch around fruit trees and established plants.
Clean and sharpen mowers, shears and other tools.
Protect phormiums, cordylines and other tender plants by wrapping them with bubble polythene or horticultural fleece.
Order seeds from mail order catalogues.
Clean out your greenhouse.
Order bare-rooted roses from specialist firms.
Keep an area of your pond ice-free.

Flower Garden
Tidy up your borders if you didn't do it in the autumn and put the debris on the compost heap.
Mulch between trees and shrubs to improve soil structure and fertility.
Phormiums and cordylines need to be protected from sever frost and snow - tie the leaves loosely together and cover with horticultural fleece or bubble wrap. Order seeds and plug plants by mail order
Plant bare-rooted shrubs.  If you haven't got time to plant properly yet, or the weather's awful, unpack the plants and dig a trench in a spare part of the garden. Lay the plants in the trench and cover the roots with soil until you have time to plant them.
If you are planting a new hedge, prepare the site before planting by digging it over and adding homemade compost or farmyard manure.

In the Greenhouse
Hygiene is crucial in the winter greenhouse, otherwise grey mould may infect over-wintering plants. Pick off old flowers and dying leaves and dispose of them. Don't over water plants. It's worth using a fan in the daytime to improve air circulation.

Roses
Plant bare-rooted roses.

Lawn
Take the opportunity to check over your lawn mower and trimmer and clean them. Arrange to have the mower sharpened if necessary.

Containers
Even in winter containers of winter bedding such as pansies and ivies may need watering in dry conditions.
If you have tender specimen plants protect them from the cold with fleece or bubble pack.

Vegetable Garden
Dig over new plots and leave roughly dug to allow frost to break down the large clods.

Fruit Garden
Mulch between established fruit trees using soil conditioners or mulches.
Prune blackcurrants and raspberries.
Plant new fruit trees.

Water Features
If you haven't already removed pumps and filters from your water features, do so now. Clean and store the pumps until spring.
Keep an area of you pond ice-free to stop a build-up of gases affecting wildlife.
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