Gardening: 10 get ahead jobs for January
Make the most of any dry, bright days to get the garden ready for the growing season
varieties will thrive in shadier spots, such as the heavenly scented ‘Gertrude Jekyll’. Plant lily bulbs in pots for a spectacular display in June-July – Lilium regale and Lilium longiflorum are reliable and prolific.* Plant in groups of three or five bulbs, pointy ends up, about 10cm deep in peat-free multipurpose compost. Keep them frost-free by wrapping in fleece or putting in a greenhouse or shed. *Lilies are toxic to cats, so be careful about planting them if you or your neighbours have cats.
1 Time to tame
Wisteria can quickly grow into an unruly tangle but pruning it now will keep it in shape and help the production of flower buds, resulting in plentiful summer blooms. How to do this? Cut down all the whippy side-shoots to two or three buds from the thicker main stems. You can also prune ‘pip’ fruit trees – apples, pears, quinces – aiming to create an open goblet shape. Whip out dead, weak, diseased or crossing stems, as well as any suckers (stems growing from the base). Then, shorten the longest branches by about a third, cutting just above an outward-facing bud.
2 Get planting
As long as the soil is not frozen or waterlogged you can plant bare-rooted roses – these establish fast, ready to burst into growth come spring. Choose a sheltered position that receives at least four hours of sun a day, although some
3 Mind the gaps
If your plot has a dull corner, fill it with a winterflowering clematis. One of the earliest and hardiest, Clematis cirrhosa ‘Jingle Bells’ has creamy-white flowers that will brighten any gloomy gap. Or create a drift of snowdrops in a patch of bare soil? Buy them now ‘in the green’ (when the flowers are over but foliage is intact), as they are quick to establish.
4 Tidy and trim
Herbaceous perennials and grasses can look tatty now, so remove any collapsed growth. Also snip off hellebore leaves to show off the delicate flower heads. If you grow box, trim it now when box blight is dormant. This allows time for the plant to heal, making it less vulnerable to attack. Burn (or bag up and bin) the leaves under box, which is where the blight over-winters.
5 Prep your veg
Start ‘chitting’ early potato varieties. Put tubers in an old egg carton with the cluster of eyes (the rose) facing upwards. Keep somewhere cool, light and dry until the green shoots appear, and plant out when they reach 3cm (1in).
It’s not too late to get some garlic in the ground (try ‘Solent Wight’ or ‘Picardy Wight’). Break up the bulb and plant each clove at about 4cm deep and 8cm apart. Within six to eight weeks you should see little green shoots appearing – very exciting!
6 Wildlife watch
Bring hungry birds into your patch with treats such as fat balls and nut-and-seed mixes, and top up a tray of fresh water daily. Your feathered visitors will reward you by eating over-wintering insect pests, such as aphids.
7 Stake and tie
Winter winds can damage and break climbers, so check they’re all securely tied into a suitable support. Have a look at tree ties and stakes too, in case they have become loose.
8 Out with the old
A real Christmas tree can be put to good use in the garden – cut off the branches and lay them over perennial crowns to keep off the frost. Or ‘plant’ the tree outdoors and hang bird feeders from the branches.
9 Clear and mulch
Sweep up the last of the fallen leaves, especially if they’re smothering perennial crowns or bulb shoots. The leaves can be left to rot down in a leaf bin, or black bin liner punctured with holes.
Look after your soil and your plants will love you for it. Spread a layer of compost on your beds – it will slowly break down into the soil, releasing nutrients and improving the structure.
10 armchair gardening
Get comfy indoors (possibly with a slice of Christmas cake) and dream of sunnier days, while poring over seed catalogues. Plan what to grow, then order seeds and summerflowering bulbs to plant in the spring.