Brrrr - When it is cold outside it is time to look forward and start planning!
January is the time when the garden really shows us its bare bones providing a fantastic opportunity to take a closer look and start planning. There are plenty of things to be getting on with now which will enable you to make the best start toward ensuring this summer you have the garden you have always hoped for.
Bright, crispy days are perfect for getting out there and visiting gardens local to you in order to see what can look and smell good in the winter garden. Look out for up and coming posts covering visits I make this winter.
From an armchair on those wet or really cold days it pays to spend some time looking over your pictures from throughout the year from which notes can be taken about areas which lack interest, are overgrown/tired/past their best. Are there parts of the garden which have never really worked and which should have a complete rethink?
The darker evenings are times to dig out the leaflets and plant lists collected at shows and plant fairs and consider new ideas which can be adopted for planting plans and garden designs this year. Last year at Chelsea it was good to see that the planting in a number of gardens was less contrived and there were a number ideas which I hope to be able to adopt in the future.
Winter is a time for pruning Wisteria, Shrub & Climbing Roses, Apples & Pears and also for tidying up hedges. It is also the time to plant bare root roses, fruits and hedging in order to ensure that they get off to a great start in the Spring. It is also the time to order seed to ensure that you have everything you want ready to start sowing.
Don't forget to provide food and water for birds during the colder weeks of the year!