What to do in the garden in January:
In the cold, dark days of January it's tempting to huddle by the fire till spring comes again. But take yourself outside on sunny, frosty days and it feels good to be alive. Here's what you can be getting on with:
General tasks:
Clean your paths as moss and algae can make them dangerously slippery. Pick up a moss-killing treatment from our garden centre for a lasting effect.
Send mowers and power tools for servicing before the spring rush starts, so they're in tip-top condition when you need them.
Ornamental garden:
Check newly-planted shrubs to make sure frost hasn't lifted the ground and loosened the roots.
Prune wisterias for a second time (the first was in summer), cutting new shoots back to within 7.5cm of last year's growth.
Remove old hellebore leaves at the base to show off emerging flower buds and reduce the risk of hellebore leaf spot.
Kitchen garden:
Cover blackcurrants with netting to keep the birds off: they're partial to fattening fruit buds and will strip the plant.
Bring some strawberry plants indoors for forcing, keeping them warm so they flower and fruit up to two months early.
Sow onion seeds in modules in the greenhouse to be sure of fat, healthy bulbs by summer.
