One of the coldest and windiest months of the year is usually January, while snowfall is not unheard of, days can also be clear, dry and unseasonably warm, so take advantage whatever the weather, as now is a great time to plan for the coming gardening year and to order seeds and plants.

If you haven’t already, winter is the best time to organise your greenhouse or shed.

The gloomy days are good for cleaning, organising, and organising in preparation for the upcoming gardening season.

The days will start to get a little bit longer from now on, and you and your garden will be eager for the much-anticipated springtime. Enjoy the fresh air, on dry sunny days, and check your winter protection, stakes, ties and supports are still working after any severe weather.

Ahead of the new gardening year, it’s worthwhile to spend this month getting to know your soil. Using a Soil Test kit, you can quickly and easily determine the pH of your soil in a matter of minutes.

Pruning

January is the month to start pruning rhododendrons.

If your honeysuckle is very overgrown, now is the best time to prune and cut back hard to encourage healthy, new growth this spring. 

Ornamental grasses should also be cut back.

Remove those leaves, grab a wheelbarrow or your green bin and sweep, rake and gather all the dropped leaves around your garden.

Put out food for birds and leave some garden areas uncut, a little longer, to provide shelter for wildlife in your garden