Winter Blessings and Beauties, Day 76: January in the Garden

Although January is often the coldest month, the lengthening hours of daylight post-Solstice mean that the garden is beginning to stir - just a little. As mentioned yesterday, snowdrops begin to appear, but they are not alone. Hellebores, winter pansies, winter aconite and bergenia may also be in bloom, along with winter-flowering shrubs like witchhazel, wintersweet and winter jasmine.

As yet there is not too much to be done in the garden, but there are a few things you can begin to sow in preparation for spring - it's most satisfying to feel you're getting a head start on the growing year.

Winter Blessings and Beauties: Day 76

January in the Garden

Here are some of the things you can sow or begin growing in January:

• Sow sweet peas
• Begin chitting first early potatoes
• Begin forcing rhubarb
• Plant bare root roses
• Sow winter salads under glass
• Sow hardy annual flowers like cornflowers and antirrhinum

If you only have indoor growing space, you can still sow winter salads in containers on a sunny windowsill, or plant amaryllis bulbs in pots on a warm windowsill for beautiful flowers in spring.

 

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