There is a certain satisfaction that comes when we start a new year, the excitement of what is to come and the anticipation that maybe, just maybe, we will have a decent summer.
It is also an excuse to make a list of those jobs you have been promising to do, but time has been against you. I was always told to do the jobs you dislike first, leaving the enjoyable jobs until later, but as I have grown older my philosophy has changed, make sure you do an enjoyable activity every day and sprinkle the other jobs throughout the week.
‘What do you do in winter, surely there can’t be much to do in the garden’? I guess you would think so but I find myself in the garden every day of the year, and I always have a list of jobs I need to get done.
It always confuses me when I read that autumn and winter are a time to tidy up in the garden, I trained as a professional gardener and the gardens I have worked in had to be kept tidy all year around, so we were always cleaning something up. The reality is that as many of our plants slow down and appear to be taking a rest through winter so, we see them as structure and form rather than bold and flamboyant in flower, although there are some woody shrubs and emerging bulbs that are braving the elements and flowering at this time of year. Witch hazel (Hamamelis), and snowdrops (Galanthus), to name but two.
So on to the issue of should we cut back all the herbaceous perennials that have long since finished flowering? My advice is if you like the garden to look neat and tidy then yes, but on the other hand if you prefer a slightly more natural look and support the fact that insects, birds and small mammals may benefit from the seeds and protection they offer then leave them.
For me there is a ‘half way house’ leave a few and cut back a few, the trigger is when the seed heads have been consumed, the stems have been blown over by the wind, or there are bulbous plants emerging, I cut the dead stems back. This means that I am always tidying something with the bonus that I rarely miss an emerging flower whatever the time of year.

We still have vegetables in the garden, winter brassica’s such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and brussels sprouts, parsnips, leeks, all of which will tolerate the harshest of weather, and strangely seem to taste better after they have been through a couple of frosty days. whilst potatoes, onions, garlic, and apples are all safely stored in our garage.
We have several vegetable beds and those that are empty are cleared of any weed growth and remnants of vegetables and depending on what crop we plan to grow this year will either be top dressed with garden compost/well rotted manure, or left as they are. We don’t do much digging as we are on a sandy soil, and the worms are very efficient at slowly mixing the compost in over the year. The key is to arrange your planting areas so ideally you don’t have to walk on them. Where we do need to walk on the beds we use old scaffolding boards to make a temporary path keeping them behind the shed when not in use. A key task this month is to make a list of the vegetables we will grow this year and get our seed order in.
We never quite know just what is in store weather wise in winter but what we do know is there will be cold wet and windy periods, so it is important to make the most of mild dry days to continue cutting back, mulching and winter pruning. It’s also a good time of year to complete construction projects, replace wooden plant supports. repair paths, fences and garden structures.
Try to avoid walking on the lawn during frosty weather as this can damage the grass allowing the fungal spores of fusarium patch or red thread to develop causing bare patches.
Many early flowering bulbous plants are emerging and I like to clear any fallen leaves from around the clumps of developing leaves as they can provide a hiding place for slugs who may feast on those young green shoots.
On days when it has been frosty overnight we make sure there is fresh water in the birdbath, using hot water to melt the ice.
Next month, should i buy a plant propagator? Tidying lawn edges, cutting back ornamental grasses.
A happy, gardening New Year to you all,
Martin