January is a great time for me
– I ignore the garden and stay indoors by the fire as much as possible. I love indoors. With a good book.
So does he…….
And I do need the break to recharge. An obsession with the garden eventually goes stale without a decent break now and again. Avoiding the plot gives me a chance to see it afresh when I re-engage and this might be my best chance to see the shortcomings and, having had a rest, feel invigorated enough to put a design horror right. Maybe. But that will be in spring.
One of the horrors of the garden press, and there are many, is the obsession with telling us what to do. The ‘what to do in your garden in January’ thing. I do not enjoy being told what to do. So I thought I would generously suggest ‘what not to do’ instead, so that you can stay by your own fire and think kindly thoughts of me. Let’s see what we’re supposed to be doing. I looked them up so you don’t have to.
Repair and re-shape lawn edges
Ha! Well, I hope you know what I think about that by now. See ‘Edging’
Prune your wisteria by cutting back whippy summer growth, leaving only 2 or 3 buds.
Just how many times a year are you supposed to prune wisteria??? Three, four, more??? Abandon these plants: far too much work!
Maybe it’s worth it if someone else does it…
Start forcing rhubarb
This usually comes with the suggestion that you cover the (already planted, of course) rhubarb with a bucket or phenomenally expensive terracotta thing supposedly designed just for this purpose, for the wealthy. Well, I’ve never tried, even with a humble bucket. We have an ancient rhubarb plant which we inherited and have never forced (being kind hearted as we are) or even eaten. He doesn’t like it, he thinks. Though when he announced this at a friend’s, just before the pudding – of rhubarb – appeared, he did somehow manage to get it down.
But basically, if you’re buying rhubarb in the UK you owe it to the dedicated Yorkshire growers, who grow it by candlelight, to buy theirs and help maintain a very special tradition. So leave your rhubarb alone and if you must eat it, eat it later.
Squash mistletoe berries into apple tree branches to start new plants.
Well, I tried, many times and see no mistletoe appearing. But a friend of mine says he did it and it worked, so you’ve no real excuse to refrain from squishing. Sorry. Best avoid having any at Christmas maybe, so no Covid kisses…..
Apple tree with apples but no mistletoe
Clear borders and rake up leaves
Well, you know better than that too by now, I hope. Unless you have some delicate plants with no shoving themselves up to the light by themselves ability. Or apparently a plague of voles may cause your idleness to show in spring. But, hey! There’ll be space to plant something new then!
If your garden is looking a bit bare try growing a winter-flowering evergreen Clematis.
Hate to tell you, but it’s a bit late now to try cheering your garden up like that.
For a more unusual bare-root plant to add to your borders now, try growing Alstromeria from bare root plants.
This is getting bonkers – Alstromeria are hard enough to establish carefully planted in the growing season from a gently upended pot. (you guessed it – these were a plant seller’s tips)
Some of us managed it though!
Remove old Hellebore leaves to make the new blooms more visible as they emerge this spring.
Well, my hellebore flowers manage to emerge quite visibly with no help of this kind. I will post about this contentious issue shortly. Meanwhile here’s one, with leaves.
I like them with their leaves.
Aerate your lawn with a fork.
That’s probably intended to be a garden fork. So here’s the good news: lawns are now meant to look rough and natural, and no well tended lawn does that. If it’s any encouragement I have never done anything so mad and for all that, after 35 years, our grassy bits look green and healthy. (But they don’t look very lawn like)
Not so lawn like…
Dig over any vacant plots that have not been dug already
Do not dig. Never dig. Digging is bad for the soil. If you must indulge in pointless exercise, that is what gyms are for. If you doubt my wisdom, read Charles Dowding. https://charlesdowding.co.uk/start-here/
What TO do
If you absolutely must venture outdoors, perhaps to play with your model railway, do bring in some pieces of Sarcococca, which, of course, you did plant earlier. If your climate and conditions favour it, a flowering piece will truly scent your room. You don’t have to stick your nose in – it truly is that good. Though, for some reason, the scent doesn’t seem to last long – a day or maybe two? It’s a great way to add extra to the pleasure of sitting by the fire with a good book. Enjoy! As those bullying waiters insist….
Insignificant looking flowers but they pack a real punch.
Do I get a modelling fee? I think I deserve a capital letter at least. I have accepted that Rhubarb is a perfectly acceptable way to eat sugar and fat – preferably formed into a crumble. I noticed that sneaky little way you worked in model railways in gardens. Please don’t repeat this. It will only encourage them.
Come on, old chap! (exclamation mark for Anne’s benefit) Can we please get a grip on your appearance. Are you the sedate individual depicted herein or the wild, hairy monster man of Borneo that Anne would have us believe you are (albeit elsewhere). We Welsh need to know (to assist in determining your passport application when we become independent)
Headline in the paper today: ‘I spent £20,000 on model trains – and they will fund my retirement’.
Ahhh, you make me smile, Anne so thank you. As for rhubarb, try it as a simple syrup mixed with gin or another spirit of choice and it will warm you up all over.
Great idea! Thanks!
I will deploy cut stems of my Sarcococca for heavenly fragrance indoors. Thank you. Why I had I never thought of this…
I’ve discovered that if you have it near a doorway you get the pleasure whenever you go in or out, because you disturb the air and you don’t get acclimatised to it. I’m on day two of a small plant in a pot…..
Great post! And curious to see items on your list that aren’t on American lists.
Blimey – I hope no-one starts doing them!
Here’s what I do, during snowy New York winters: stare out the window and “mind garden” – imagining some rearranging, some additions and some subtractions. Plan an inspirational trip (even if it doesn’t happen, fun to research). Maybe some educational seminars or reading. Maybe not. Lots of warm beverages.
She’s got it!
Thanks for the link on forcing rhubarb I wish some Canadian growers would do this! Enjoyed that funny model train reference!
It’s a great tradition, the rhubarb forcing and one I do hope carries on, despite Charles.
I loved your post, and laughed merrily. I love to sit inside, reading, enjoying the fire, and relaxing.
In the other seasons I work very hard and allow myself a free day after a day of labor.
Thanks for sharing your garden wisdom!
Well, you’ve truly earned the relaxing, so what could be better?
You had me laughing at several points.
I think of January as the equivalent of the negative space in art. It’s necessary, and it’s supposed to be vacant of anything to accentuate everything else. January is my vacation from the garden. Further, I am absolutely SO tired of reading articles on the Internet and in print titled, “Ten things YOU MUST do or have in your kitchen, yard, life and bedroom…” Twelve things you must NEVER do/wear/think after age 50-.” and “Twenty-five things you are wasting your money on.” Who made these writers my mother? Who gave them the right to tell me what to do/not do? No more lists!!!
If I prefer to sit on my butt and do nothing in January, that’s my prerogative.
Exactly!
Ah, the wagging finger of so many gardening books, societies and TV and radio pundits – at least in the UK.
I think they put people off gardening rather than turn them on to it.
They are afraid of doing the wrong thing or a bad thing and it becomes safer to do nothing!
Well said, Anne Wareham
I’m sure you’re right. And 90% of it is desperation, garden writers trying to find something to say, all year round, year in year out. The one I hate most is the Telegraph’s ‘What to plant and tidy in your garden this week’. TIDY! Talking about off putting…..
I so enjoy your posts and you are proof that you don’t have to do what the “experts” advise to have a beautiful garden!
O, I do believe it.
Bless all of you who allow those of us who like to daydream through the worst of winter.
It’s a good and healing thing. Xx
Haha! There is zero possibility of my doing anything in the garden now, even if I wanted to. Its blanket of white looks more beautiful than anything I could pull together.
You are lucky then. When it snows here it seems there always comes a time when we have to dig ourselves out. Looks great until I remember that we’re stuck until……
I heartily agree! The view from the upstairs south facing windows is nice – I can see the yellowstem and redstem dogwoods next to the dwarf Japanese hemlock so there is some color besides white and grey. My ground is frozen solid at this point so no digging even if I wanted to. Time for seed catalogues and magazines with glossy color pictures.
Sounds great.
I agree with all and heartily agree with leaving the Hellebore alone. Always seemed nuts to me. I’d like to try the Gin/Rhubarb combo.
Well, we’ll have the hellebore debate next Saturday then….
We are having to do a fence project this winter: One got knocked down by a bear and one is being moved because developers did a survey to build a hideous building next to us so we are claiming our territory right to our newly surveyed line. The lawn is a sea of mud from walking across it with fence materials. I really miss having lots of winter reading time, even though I do a lot of winter gardening because I’m working in other’s gardens spring through autumn. Winter gardening has been pretty cold and miserable and wet this year. I’ve already cut the leaves off my hellebores 🙂 and I look forward to what you have to say about that.
A bear!!! O, what comparative peace we have in the UK. Hope the weather warms up for you very soon.
It is so nice to see a garden writer expressing my own views about winter gardening. I’ve been inundated since the start of December with seed catalogues and brochures telling me what I should be doing and planting in the garden.
Believe me, it takes strength and determination to ignore them all.
All about making money out of you?
Never heard of forcing rhubarb, and I read a lot of old gardening books. Cool. My husband would be appalled. Why would you want it sooner? I make jam. Delicious stirred in yogurt, oatmeal, and of course on toast. Dad liked it stewed with no sugar. Liked stewed quince with no sugar too. I can’t do that.
I love it – and it is especially good when it has been forced. But I’m lazy and don’t cook for myself.
Hooray! Thank you for this. I have around 3 January garden to-do lists sitting in my inbox right now and will be turning those to-dos into to-don’ts. 🙂
Delighted to hear it!
First, I hate rhubarb. I don’t even like the way it looks. Why ruin good strawberries with it! So I’m glad you aren’t pushing it. Second, it is harder here in the American South to ignore the garden in January. For one thing, there is so much magic going on out there. Galanthus, hellebores, Hamamelis, trillium, cyclamen. And there are so many winter weeds growing out there. Otherwise I agree – please, no advice about what to do in any month. I’ll do it when I have time. Or not.
Go north!!!
You have a point – things are coming out here too, but the weeds can wait. I look forward to having a look someday………
Anne, thank you, I’ll try the mistletoe squishing into apples; what have we got to lose!
Ah, with that, not much time or effort, and it may pay off.
Couple thoughts, for what they’re worth. I desperately need a break in the winter, however I also desperately need the break the winter is giving the woods to do the brush clearing that keeps the invasive understory at bay. Taking out huge clumps of multiflora rose is made so much easier when all the leaves are gone. It’s night and day. So, I definitely am not working as hard, but I’m still working. My woodland garden gets attention in the winter too – attention I don’t have the time for any other time of the year.
Second, I think these lists (and I have them on my website too) are not intended to school people into what they must do, but to provide options for those who want to make the most of the season. As and when they have the energy. How many new gardeners want to get started with tomato seeds in late April when the weather warms? Or try and root cornus whips in the middle of the summer? Nothing in this world is hard and fast, but good timing increases your chances of success. Lists, for those who follow a trusted, regional voice, can provide a little guidance for those who seek it. I don’t think that seeing them as “must dos” is the right way to look at them.
Third, martial squabbles in the comments section is a hilarious new unforeseen element at the Rant. Had me chuckling. Charles, I don’t want a train in my garden, but I sure enjoyed seeing Thomas and friends chugging through a beautifully landscaped mountain range at Longwood this Christmas. It happens here in gardens, but is perhaps not as common as it is in the UK. – MW
I apologise for treading on your toes but I have loathed those lists for 40 years……..
As for railways, maybe I could persuade Charles to make me one – I’ve been wondering how I’ll get round our hilly garden in my dotage. A good winter project for him, maybe.
No! We will get 4 wheel drive motorised buggies.
Race you then!
No apologies necessary. I love the discussion. Charles, Michael also wants a motorized 4wheel drive buggy – unfortunately for him he has a cheapskate for a wife and so he gets a clapped out golf cart. It’s amazing what they can do on a slope tho…
That’s a thought! They seem to come with a roof too.
This was a great rant and has a lot of comments!
After careful consideration my conclusion is: your January is my August. August here in North Carolina is hot hot hot. Hot and mosquito-y. It’s hot at 6am and 9pm. Nothing is blooming and all we can do is water while hoping for October to come.
January, by contrast, has lovely sunny afternoons of 45F and is perfect for both big projects and weeding-mulching.
We all have our “off” month for sure!
As long as you get at least one. Come to think of it, August can be quite a good knocking off time here too…. along with September….and ..
Exactly my situation here in Texas. I take the hot months off, sitting inside looking out the window at the yard, hoping the mosquitos and chiggers starve to death. This is the time of year when I can venture outside safely and grow all the winter veg and flowers I want.
O, any excuse, I say – I stop if it gets hot here too. (has been known)
Interesting that nobody suggests washing plant pots any more. Probably not because, like you and me, they think it’s pointless, but because it somehow offends Queen Greta and her RHS acolytes.
Possibly – but we did only use cold water, didn’t we?