Some of the daffodils in my garden have been coming up since New Year’s Day: have they not read the package they came in? How rude. Don’t they understand that they are a month or two early and this is England where we like to do things on time?!
The unseasonal warmth has quickly been replaced here by uneven temperatures ranging from miserable and wet to sparkling and bright. I must admit to planning much of my week around the weekly forecast: if there is sunshine on offer, I am out there like a shot away from my laptop and being a Hampshire garden designer.
Fortunately, the brightest day so far coincided with the twelfth day of Christmas – ideal for clearing the decks of Christmas cards and decorations in preparation for the year to come.
In many ways that is what this month’s garden tasks are about: ensuring that ties and bindings are secure and clearing up wind blown debris and making sure everything is set for the rapid growth in Spring:
• Brush and spread worm casts that appear on the lawn.
• Cut new edges to the lawn where needed: the soil will be damp and therefore easier to slice.
• Keep your lawn as free from old leaves and debris as possible: these can inhibit light and cause mould.
• Mole activity is most obvious in January and February due to mating and nest making. Remove the earth mounds and sow grass seed in spring.
• Spike areas of the lawn that are prone to water logging using a fork
• Be careful not to tread on areas where bulb shoots are emerging.
• Check tree ties and stakes. The cold winter winds can knock newly established plants all over the place. Give plants added protection if necessary.
• Plant bare-root trees, shrubs and fruit.
• Tidy up any unruly plants, especially climbers, that may have been dislodged in high winds.
• Make the most of the lack of vegetation on most plants to get into shrubberies to remove brambles and self-seeded saplings.
There is much to look forward to and, much already giving scent and colour. Getting back to work and routine is always something of a shock, but the compensations are always there.
Glad you planted those bulbs in Autumn? Put it in the diary again for this year!
Happy New Year!