What to do in the January winter garden

Remember the mild weather on Christmas day? Folklore suggests that if mild weather prevails over Christmas, there will be cold weather at Easter, which falls on 16 April this year.  Luckily, the old superstition that a Christmas without snow will be followed by illness and many deaths (A green winter makes a fat churchyard) seems to be without any factual foundation, although it is generally believed that cold weather helps to kill off bacteria and unwanted bugs. ‍

 Bacteria are often killed by a bout of cold weather. Long-range weather forecasts are notoriously difficult to predict, but at some point during the winter there will be at least a sprinkling of snow. Indeed, many parts of the country are freezing and already have experienced a fair smattering of snow and  sleet is on the way for most of us. Snow can damage plants. It is heavy and can snap branches of young trees and change the shape of hedges. Sweep snow off shrubs once it starts piling up, but allow it to stay on beds and borders where it will help to keep things warm. ‍ Snow can keep plants warm and cosy underneath but can be damaging to trees, shrubs and hedges.

Tackle the hedges in winter

January and February are great months in which to prune hedges, provided they are free from snow. Prune Laurel and deciduous hedges quite hard before the spring growth spurt. Prune Yew and many other evergreen plants but beware of conifers such as Leylandii that need to be lightly trimmed more regularly. Some trees will grow back happily from old wood, whilst many conifers will not. Seen some brown patches in conifer hedges? It's generally because they have been allowed to get too big and have eventually been pruned back into old wood. ‍

Yew can be trimmed right back into the old wood and will regenerate. It's a great hedging plant.

Feed the hungry birds in winter

The winter is a hungry season for wildlife. Give them a hand by putting out bird food and, just as importantly, water. You'll be surprised how fast the wild birds will find their new feed supply. There's a SALE of garden feeding products and nesting boxes for ONE WEEK ONLY. Click HERE to see the bargains. ‍

This attractive white wooden nesting box with the heart-shaped hole is just £4.68 (+p&p) in the sale

Clean out bird boxes

Winter pruning

Prune Group 3 (late flowering) Clematis down to around 40cms. ‍

You can prune Grouup 3 Clematis in the winter Prune Viburnum tinus and bodnantense after flowering. ‍

Viburnum tinus is a great shrub that has creamy-coloured flowers and purple/black fruits. It can be pruned in winter. Prune Wisteria and winter jasmine.

Plant bare root trees, hedges and roses

Plan your garden

It's a great month for planning. You can see the bare structure of your plot in winter. Look for gaps and decide what would look good in the space.

Gardens in winter can be beautiful. It's a great time to see what changes you need to make.

Notice the flowers!

‍Snowdrops are some of winter's iconic beauties. ‍

snowdrops can still be planted ready for flowering in January and February