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january in the garden Forget about joining an expensive gym to shed any excess pounds - a few hours a week of energetic tidying in your garden at this time of the year can keep you fit and healthy - remember the colder it is the more calories you burn just to keep warm!
Tidying also removes any hiding places for slugs and snails during the winter - a surefire way of reducing their numbers for next summer.
Most of the winter berries have disappeared as birds enjoy their tasty treats, but these are replaced by catkins dangling from garrya’s and hazels, the first signs of bulbs pushing their way through the cold soil, and buds swelling on bare stems.
If the soil is frosty or wet, try to keep off the beds as walking over them can easily destroy the soil structure. Continue planting dormant shrubs and trees in January, and check that any newly planted shrubs have not been lifted up by the winter frosts. |
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 | If so, use your heel to firm them back into the soil again. If we have heavy snowfall, carefully brush it off conifers and evergreen plants to prevent the weight breaking any branches. And continue looking forward to longer, warmer days!
If you have heavy clay soil you may want to use wooden planks to work off as this type of soil takes the longest to dry out. |
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Remember you can continue planting dormant shrubs and trees - when the weather allows. We had some bare root roses delivered just before the heavy frosts, so I just heeled them into the empty potager, until the weather improves when I shall plant them properly in their permanent positions.
Happy New Year gardeners,
Linette Applegate - Head Gardener at Toddington Manor.
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