January is a great time to get organised in the garden and make plans for the year ahead. You can start planning what plants you might like to add or seeds you might like to grow in spring and what materials you need to do this, plus what kind of budget you have.
Gardens can cost, so try to keep things simple and where possible reuse, recycle or come up with money-saving ideas that can help you create the garden of your dreams regardless of resources or space.
So, thrifty tip for the month is … get your tools sorted before the gardening season gets into full swing.
You don’t need masses of tools just a few good ones – the best you can afford – or keep an eye out for bargains in second hand shops or stalls … making sure that the metal parts are in good shape.
You will need a good spade (preferably with a wooden handle that comes up to your hip in height), a fork and a hoe.
Plus a pair of secateurs is essential, as is a watering can. If you have space a wheelbarrow is also handy.
If you are container gardening then a hand trowel and fork are a must. The rest you can improvise … pencils for dibbers, yoghurt pots and plastic food trays for seeds and cuttings, large plastic bottles for cloches, etc.
You can also make tools last longer by wiping them with a rag dabbed with oil after use. Keep them sharp with a sharpener stone or the sharpener you use for your carving knives – and don’t leave them out in the rain or snow.
Being snow-aware in the garden can not only help with the longevity of equipment, it can also stop extensive plant damage which means you don’t have to spend money on repairs or replacements.
Advice from the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) is to shake or brush heavy snow from conifers, shrubs and hedges to prevent branches breaking.
When it comes to turf and borders a covering of snow provides insulation from the cold so it’s best left in place.
You should avoid walking on frozen and snow-covered lawns as this damages the grass, causing unsightly brown footprints to appear after the thaw.
One of the plants we love to see at this time of year is the perfectly formed Snowdrop. Common snowdrops are hardy and fairly easy to grow with many beautiful species to choose from.
If you’re hoping to create an impressive swathe in your garden then try Galanthus nivalis. It’s the most common species because it self-seeds and spreads very quickly, which means you get to enjoy your snowy white display sooner rather than later.
Always buy pots of snowdrops ‘in the green’ – so when they have finished flowering but the leaves are still green and intact. Or you could lift and divide any large clumps from a different location or garden, which would give you a supply of snowdrops for free. Plant them out as soon as possible in partial shade (such as under a tree) and in moist but well-drained soil.
You can add some compost or leaf mould to give added nutrients. Plant to the same depth they were previously grown, or around four inches/10cm deep and space clumps about six inches/15cm apart.
Water them in and leave. In addition to Galanthus nivalis you could also consider varieties such as ‘Staffan’ – a vigorous, single flowerer producing two flower stems from each bulb and ‘Atkinsil’ – which has large slender scented flowers with a heart-shaped mark on the inner segments.
The RHS Gardener’s Checklist for January
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Plant bare-rooted trees, shrubs and fruit
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Check mulches
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Add scented winter flowering plants
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Prune apple and pear trees
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Force rhubarb crowns
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Avoid compacting your soil by working on wet soil
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Deadhead container displays
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Reduce watering of citrus plants
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Plant forced Christmas hyacinths outdoors
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Recycle or shred your Christmas tree
