Top 5 January Jobs for your Garden

I always get asked what I do in winter, there are no flowers and so that must mean no work? But this couldn’t be further from the truth, there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes … its just not glamorous, very mucky and usually very labour intensive, but I find it super satisfying nonetheless.

This year I am determined to be ahead of the game, now the children are a little older (20 months & 4years) and so I thought I would put together a list of the top 5 January jobs I am doing, to hopefully get you motivated for your own garden and look beyond the wind, rain and snow and get outdoors.

1. Clearing Annual Beds

   The annual plants are the plants that you sowed, they grew and flowered last summer and will not return this year. I always leave our annual plants in over winter for a number of reasons, but mainly to provide shelter for insects and animals over winter, to help prevent soil erosion from the rain and to let the plants die back and deliver nutrients back into the soil.

   My top tip - only cut the stems back to the soil level and don’t pull the root out. The root ball will continue to break down over time, which will add organic matter to the soil and help with the soils structure .

2. Planting & Moving

   Now is a great time to plant out your bare root Roses - I have just planted 20 new plants in our walled garden (hopefully this will deter the roaming deer!)

   Any plants or shrubs that were in the wrong place in your garden or border, now is the time to move them to their new home.

3. Mulching beds

   Mulching beds helps add organic matter to your bed and allow time for it to start to break down and help increase the nutrients in the soil for the growing season ahead. I have been adding grass clippings and compost to my beds.

4. Garden Maintenance

   This is my least favourite job I have to admit, but its all those little jobs that have been put off from the busy summer and Christmas period. My jobs include washing the greenhouse and polytunnel, fixing the cold frames and putting in a new irrigation system.

5. Planning

   This is one of my favourite jobs, grab a cuppa and get cozy and imagine what you want your garden to look like this summer. Get some inspiration from Pinterest and then grab the seed catalogues and away you go!

   It never ceases to amaze me from sowing a few seeds over the coming weeks to what you will have in a few months time - Mother Nature is a wonder!

Happy gardening x

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