January Gardening Tips 2025

I hope you were able to enjoy a little space in the midst of Christmas celebrations to find some peace and relaxation. Our gardens give every impression of resting at this time of year. But looking closely can reveal a world of activity going on. Feeding the birds and providing water for wildlife over the colder months certainly causes a stir. There is a lovely red breasted robin that often frequents our garden and, over Christmas, we were fortunate to see a pair of bull finches. The latter don’t tend to visit bird tables so much but were very happy looking for buds and shoots amongst our shrubs and hedges.

Plants with berries and hips attract so much wildlife and it is a joy to share our garden with them. A mixed hedge provides food and shelter. Put simply, the wider variety of plants in a garden the wider variety of birds, invertebrates, mammals and insects will be found.  When the world is troubled and complex there is both solace and hope to be found in providing for our fellow creatures however small an area we have to offer. Gardens are so important in safeguarding biodiversity.

Wouldn’t it be lovely to see some clear sunny skies as the days start to lengthen. So far the winter has been relatively mild and indisputably grey. There are signs of floral activity through. My favourite plant at this time of year is indisputably Hamamelis. The flowers may be muted but I love their scent. Hellebores (Christmas roses) are out in force in my garden together with some primroses that think spring is here already in the mild air, and a forsythia located in a sheltered spot is bursting with yellow buds.

If we do get some freezing weather it is a good idea to have some horticultural fleece at hand to protect less hardy specimens. If you have a fish pond a simple trick is to float a ball on the pond (although I think a rubber duck might be more fun), to help keep an air hole open. If ice does cover the pond, melt using warm water rather than breaking the ice, because shock waves can damage the fish.

Traditionally January is the time to plan new garden projects, choose seeds and buy seed potatoes ready for chitting and planting later on. It is also a good time to clean tools, clean and prepare seed trays, pots and propagators, service mowers, sharpen tools and generally get ready for a busy gardening year ahead.