Gardening in January: jobs you can do in your garden this month
Although we’re spending the majority of time inside our cosy homes at the moment, there are still plenty of ways we can care for our gardens and get them ready for the year ahead.
The new year brings fresh opportunities to plan our outdoor spaces, choose what to grow, and keep local wildlife thriving. If you’ve recently moved to a new build home, this is all the more exciting. A chance to put your stamp on a blank canvas of a garden, whether you’re itching to grow your own vegetables, or create an enviable outdoor entertaining space.
Read on for 8 gardening jobs you can do this January, in a new build home.
1. Plan your garden design
If you’ve recently moved into a new Charles Church home, or are about to move, thinking about what to do with your new garden is an exciting prospect. January is the perfect time to plan, and start visualising how you would like your outdoor space to look by the time summer arrives. Always fancied growing your own vegetables? Maybe you’re dreaming of the perfect outdoor dining area, or beds overflowing with blooms. Either way, this is a great time to start mapping out your space and budgeting for the changes ahead.
(Image: @new_build_first_home)
2. Order seeds to plant in spring
January is a good time to order plants and seeds to plant in spring. Based on the plan you’ve drawn up, order seeds for spring-planting flowers such as cosmos, nasturtium, marigold and cornflowers. It’s also a good time to order climbing perennials like clematis and climbing roses, and fruit trees such as pear and crab apple.
3. Plant shrubs, hedges and trees
Another good job to do once you’ve planned your garden for the year ahead, is to start planting large hardy plants like shrubs, hedges and bare-rooted trees. These will provide the main structure for your beds and borders, and add dimension. Holly, privet and acers all make good additions to a garden at this time of year – as long as the ground is clear from frost.
4. Keep feeding wildlife through winter
The birds and other wildlife that visit your garden will likely find it more difficult to find food in the cold winter months. You can help them through the winter by continuing to leave out food regularly. High fat content foods such as fat balls and peanut cakes are ideal for birds, along with the usual seeds and grain mixes.
5. Grow vegetables indoors
There are several types of vegetable to plant in January, so they’ll be ready to harvest in summer. Chillies, aubergines and basil seeds can all be sown in individual pots or trays. They’ll need to be kept at consistent temperatures, so it’s worth investing in- a good heated propagator to give seeds the best chance.
6. Plant flowers for summer blooms
There are also several varieties of flower seeds that you can sow in January in time for a summer flowering. Sow geraniums, dahlias, sweet peas and delphiniums in seed trays or small pots, using high quality seed compost and ideally in a heated propagator.
7. Make the most of winter sun
Just because it’s cold outside, doesn’t mean you can’t spend time in your garden. Fresh air and natural sunlight are important for our health – and if you’ve just moved into a new home with a garden, you’ll want to make the most of it. Choose a dedicated, preferably sheltered area of your garden to use as a cosy winter corner. Fairy lights, throws, cushions and candles will add ambience on even the greyest of days. Wrap up warm, grab a hot drink and take in that crisp air.
8. Keep your houseplants happy
The good news is, that as most houseplants enter a dormant phase in winter, you won’t need to attend to them quite as frequently as in the rest of the year. They will, however, need some care to get them through the colder months. Reduce watering to roughly once a fortnight, and maximise the amount of light your plants are getting by moving them to windowsills and wiping dust off leaves.
SHOWCASE YOUR STYLE
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