January

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Knowing what grows well in the garden is really important. But with 12 months a year, remembering what, when and where can be tricky. That’s why we’ve put together this seasonal calendar. So you can check what you could be doing this month, and what you should be planting later in the year.

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Things to do

This month, you need to grab your wellies and garden fork because it's all about preparing the soil for growing beautiful crops and plants later in the year. Break up hard ground, remove weeds and dig in some manure.

: Vegetable Garden
It's time to start digging and preparing the soil. Turn over any bare areas of ground with a spade or fork and work in plenty of compost or rotted manure to add some goodness.

If you're planning to grow any cane fruits or raspberries, plant them now.

: Bedding Plants
Make your winter flowers (like Cyclamen) last a bit longer by cutting off the dead flower heads and removing any yellowing leaves. Also now is a great time to plant Sweet Peas, Geraniums and Gazinia seeds.

: Climbing Plants
Cut back (prune) any Wisteria side shoots to about 10cm in length. This will make the plant flower more later on in the year.

: Containers
Protect your plants from frost by wrapping the pots with bubble wrap.

: Fruit
Get your potted trees under cover for the next four months. Apply a plant oil-based winter wash to them to kill off any pests.

Make your raspberries strong and healthy by trimming back any extreme top growth (the supporting canes should be about 15cm above the bush when you're finished).

Plant new fruit bushes for the coming year – you'll find a great range at Homebase.

Free-standing fruit trees should be pruned now. Remove the dead and dying branches, then look for branches that are crossing over each other and remove them – this will help growth.

: Houseplants
Choose bright, beautiful winter-flowering houseplants like Cyclamen and Azalea. Keep an eye on them, deadheading the droopy flowers to help the plant last longer. Allow the foliage (leaves) to keep growing as this will make the bulb produce plenty of flowers next year.

: Lawn
A thick carpet of wet leaves is no good for grass. So make the most of any dry days by sweeping up any fallen leaves. Repair and re-shape lawn edges when the weather gets a bit better.

: Perennials (winter surviving plants)
Hellebores love the new year, with most plants flowering in early January. If you’re going to plant some make sure you add plenty of manure to the soil.

Sprinkle some mulch around any emerging plants, to add nutrients to the soil and keep it moist. Sweet Peas can be planted this month (any sweet peas already planted can be moved to pots).

: Roses
As soon as they've stop flowering and gone to sleep, the older rose bushes can be moved and new plants added in. When planting, it's really important to use manure in the hole for better results later on in the year.

: Shrubs
Protect your shrubs from frosts and sharp winds, by wrapping them up in hessian or fleece. If it snows, shake excess snow from branches to avoid branches snapping.

: Trees
Cut back deciduous trees whilst they are dormant (no leaves). Try planting Salix Kilmarnock – a beautiful small weeping tree, ideal for little gardens. Available at Homebase between December and March.

: Vegetables
Prepare the soil, by clearing away the remains of old crops and spread a layer of compost or manure over the cleared ground. Make a trench for runner beans and plant onion seeds indoors ready for moving to the veg patch later on.