Gardening: the quiet January decisions that define a great garden

January is a time when you stand or fall by your garden planning and decisions.

We can all have pretty borders in summer with plants dropped in from the garden centre. However, to have an inviting and enchanting garden at this time of year requires much more knowledge and skill.

Colour schemes in winter can be sublime, making the most of the glistening dew drops and sparkling frosts. It’s a time when leaves and shades of green come into their own.

A particular favourite that flowers at this time is Helleborus niger, which if planted near the house makes it easier to admire from the comfort of your living room.

Winter flowering shrubs like Daphne mezeureum lift our spirits like any spring bulb. Its tiny purple flowers giving a cloud like effect when all else is monochrome. Daphnes enjoy a bit of sunshine so try not to put them in a dark corner or against a North facing wall.

If you have a shady area needing winter colour then Mahonia ‘Charity’ will flower now and offer a striking counterpane to different shades of green foliage elsewhere. They can also draw you down the garden if you know their sweet scent can be cut and brought indoors to cheer the whole place up. Put in a vase on the dining table, they will fill the house with something much better than a chemical plug in air freshener.

Another bright yellow shrub in January is Fortsythia, its star shaped flowers illuminating any North facing bed. Underneath it, plant Periwinkle (vinca) to create a trailing bed of contrasting purple.

Variegated leaves catch the bright winter sunlight and Eleangnus pungent Macualata will cheer up a bare bed with its glossy green leaves with yellow edging.

Fatsia Japonica is more often seen as a house plant resembling a fig, but is actually hardy, evergreen and loves deep shade. It will reach 6ft in height quite easily for a shiny green covering to hide a boundary fence.

On the Plot

January can and has recently delivered hard frosts that last several days so when it is milder its essential to get out there and feel the full benefit of a day in the veg patch.

It’s not a time yet for outdoor planting but you can start a few modules of cauliflowers indoors either in a frost free greenhouse or on a windowsill at home.

Dig a bean trench, as runner beans like rich and moist soil. Despite all the no dig technology, this is still an effective and reliable technique. Dig a trench about 30cm deep where the beans will grow and then line it with newspaper. This maintains moisture for
roots to find their way down towards. Fill it with kitchen waste or the top of the compost bin and cover over with soil to stop attracting pests.

If you don’t have the weather or energy, just dig a small portion of the trench when you can and keep it covered. When you’re ready to plant the seeds then you ll find everything has settled down into a depression which is ideal for planting them without the hassle of birds taking them as soon as your back is turned.

Whilst you may have a bit of extra time usually reserved for sharpening tools or making running repairs on the shed roof, it’s also a great idea to test your soil. Simple kits are available for user a tenner and help enormously as our soil can change its pH over the years with what we grow and add.

Potatoes like mildly acidic soil and brassicas love slightly alkaline soil so test each bed. Daylight is fast increasing by two minutes every day so that we have around 8.5 hours a day.

By the time February comes around in a mere three weeks Daffodils and crocuses will be starting to show themselves.