Britain Get Growing – Plan your January Garden

Wishing you a Happy New Year! With the arrival of the new year comes fresh hope and a brand-new gardening season. Despite the winter chill and lockdown conditions, now is the ideal time to strategize for your outdoor space in preparation for the upcoming spring. In January, there are still numerous quick gardening tasks to undertake, ensuring your garden gets off to a robust start.

Start by planning ahead. During the colder and wetter days, take a trip to your local British Garden Centres store or shop online for inspiration and explore our colourful displays of seeds, bulbs and plants.

If you’re interested in gardening and want to start planting early in the year, there are a plethora of options available to you. Some of the best choices to get started include purchasing early potatoes, onion sets, shallots, garlic, and a variety of vegetable seeds. To ensure the best possible results, it’s recommended that you sow these seeds undercover in a propagator. This will help to protect them from the harsh weather conditions that can be common during the early months of the year, allowing them to grow and thrive in a safe and controlled environment. With a little bit of care and attention, you can look forward to enjoying a bountiful harvest of fresh, delicious vegetables and herbs in no time at all!

To ensure a beautiful garden, it’s essential to plan with your blooms too. In January, you can start by considering bare-root hedging, shrubs, trees, and annual/biennial summer flower seeds that can be sown indoors. These plants will grow well when planted in the spring, and it’s best to start preparing them now.

If you have a greenhouse, it’s a great place to sow plants like Begonias, Lobelias, Geraniums, and Pelargoniums. These plants love warmth and will thrive in a temperature-controlled environment. You can sow the seeds in pots and keep them inside the greenhouse until they are ready to be transplanted into your garden.

For those who prefer outdoor gardening, Lily Bulbs can be sown into borders and pots during milder days of the month. These bulbs are easy to plant and will produce beautiful blooms in the summer months. Just make sure to plant them in well-draining soil and water them regularly.

By taking the time to plan and sow your seeds now, you’ll be rewarded with a vibrant and healthy garden in the spring and summer months.

For winter colour, plant flowering shrubs such as Daphne, winter honeysuckle, and winter jasmine, offering cheer and delightful scents from now until early spring. Heather and cyclamen can provide a burst of uplifting colour. Winter container displays also bring life to the garden during the grey months, offering a new dimension from December to March.

Don’t forget the wildlife in your garden. As colder weather drives birds into your garden, provide them with food and water. Fat balls and treats are excellent energy sources during the winter months. Ensure bird baths are clean and unfrozen for drinking and bathing.

Lastly, give your houseplants some winter care. Regularly check for watering needs and address any pest problems. Since houseplants are dormant during this period, limit watering to prevent common failures. Only feed flowering houseplants with a high potash liquid feed.