In partnership with Claire Jones Gardens
The beginning of the gardening year is a time for fresh starts, renewed energy, and grand plans for the year ahead. It may look cold and uninviting outside but there are lots of jobs you can be getting on with. It’s a great way to get active after Christmas!
Jobs for January and February:
- Prune old leaves from Hellebores so that the nodding blooms are easily seen. (Also reduces the spread of the leaf spot virus)
- Prune apple and pear trees while they are dormant.
- Removing dead or dying branches, and about 10-20% of the old wood, with the aim of creating an open centre.
- Peruse the seed catalogues and plan for the growing season ahead. Order seed early to avoid disappointment.
- February is the month to prune hardy evergreen hedges such as Privet, Yew, and Laurel prior to mid spring growth.
- Prune Wisteria in February to encourage more flowering spurs, work your way over the climber, cutting back whippy tendrils to two or three buds. (These should have already been pruned to five or six buds in the summer prune.)
- Prune late summer flowering Clematis (Group 3) cutting stems back to healthy buds approximately 30cm from the base.
- Sow a batch of Sweet Peas in a greenhouse or cold frame
- Cut back deciduous grasses left intact over winter, ready for new Spring growth.
- Plant bare root roses, shrubs, hedging and trees as long as the ground isn’t frozen or water logged.
- Check tree stakes and ties that may have been damaged in bad weather and adjust/replace where necessary.
- Clear away soggy, collapsed stems of perennials and compost them.
- Keep putting food and water out for hungry birds.
Plant of the season – Cyclamen coum
Cyclamen coum is a pretty perennial bearing delicate silver lined dark green leaves and dainty blooms in shades of white, pink and red. Flowering from January through to April it is usually out before the snowdrops in my garden. It is cute, small and dainty but it’s also tough and can have a fantastic impact in the winter
garden, associating beautifully with Hellebores and Snowdrops.
Despite originating from lands bordering the Mediterranean, Cyclamen coum is hardy in Britain. It is a reliable plant that will increase in numbers year on year. Generally the flowers don’t self pollinate so for faster results its best to start with at least two plants to create the best opportunity for successful pollination. The seeds are cleverly dispersed. As the seed pods ripen, the stems curl up to bring the pods down to ground level. The seeds are then dispersed by ants and other wildlife such as woodlice, which eat the sticky seed coats but ignore the seeds. So wherever our manylegged garden neighbours leave the seeds – that’s where they’ll germinate! It prefers a humus rich soil in partial shade. It is best to mulch annually with well rotted leaf mould to prevent the tubers from drying out in summer, or rotting in winter wet.
