Happy New Year! Let's get the gardening year off to a great start with gardening advice from our in-house horticulturalist Monica on what to do in the garden this January. Best of luck! Let us know how you get on.
January gardening To-do ListPlanning
Order your catalogues for spring planting of summer flowering plants and plan where you want to plant what.
Stock up on stakes, canes, string – check that your garden tools are in order as well.
Sowing and planting
Sow seeds of Begonia, Lobelia, Salvia and Pelargonium in a heated greenhouse or propagator to provide early plants.
Sweet peas can be sown this month. Those sown earlier in the autumn can now be potted on. Place on a sunny windowsill, or on a high shelf in the greenhouse that gets plenty of light.
Plant lily bulbs in pots and in borders during mild spells.
This is the last chance to sow seeds that need frost in order to germinate (such as native tree and shrub seeds, and alpine plants).
Pruning, dividing and cutting back
Cut off old leaves of hellebores and Iris unguicularis leaves to expose the flowers.
Start cutting back grasses and other perennials left for winter interest.
Root cuttings can be taken now eg. Papaver, Verbascum, Acanthus and Phlox
During dry spells, you can still lift and divide herbaceous perennials. This will increase stocks, and revive poorly flowering clumps.
General maintenance
In cold spells, protect non frost-proof containers with bubble wrap, hessian or fleece, to prevent them cracking.
Grouping the pots close to a south-facing wall may provide additional protection.
Ensure protective straw or fleece is still in place on tender plants overwintering outdoor.
Collect leaves that have blown over beds. Clear up any weeds, to be ready for mulching in the spring.
Keep tubs and containers tidy.
Some pots particularly those sheltered by eaves or balconies may need watering.
Raise patio containers onto feet or bricks to avoid them sitting in the wet.
Other things to do:
Recycle your Christmas tree by shredding it for mulch
Dig over any vacant beds that have not been dug already
Repair and re-shape lawn edges
Start forcing rhubarb
Plan your vegetable crop rotations for the coming season
Keep putting out food and water for hungry birds
Inspect any stored tubers for rot or drying out.
Sowing and planting
Sow seeds of Begonia, Lobelia, Salvia and Pelargonium in a heated greenhouse or propagator to provide early plants.
Sweet peas can be sown this month. Those sown earlier in the autumn can now be potted on. Place on a sunny windowsill, or on a high shelf in the greenhouse that gets plenty of light.
Plant lily bulbs in pots and in borders during mild spells.
This is the last chance to sow seeds that need frost in order to germinate (such as native tree and shrub seeds, and alpine plants).
Pruning, dividing and cutting back
Cut off old leaves of hellebores and Iris unguicularis leaves to expose the flowers.
Start cutting back grasses and other perennials left for winter interest.
Root cuttings can be taken now eg. Papaver, Verbascum, Acanthus and Phlox
During dry spells, you can still lift and divide herbaceous perennials. This will increase stocks, and revive poorly flowering clumps.
General maintenance
In cold spells, protect non frost-proof containers with bubble wrap, hessian or fleece, to prevent them cracking.
Grouping the pots close to a south-facing wall may provide additional protection.
Ensure protective straw or fleece is still in place on tender plants overwintering outdoor.
Collect leaves that have blown over beds. Clear up any weeds, to be ready for mulching in the spring.
Keep tubs and containers tidy.
Some pots particularly those sheltered by eaves or balconies may need watering.
Raise patio containers onto feet or bricks to avoid them sitting in the wet.
Other things to do:
Recycle your Christmas tree by shredding it for mulch
Dig over any vacant beds that have not been dug already
Repair and re-shape lawn edges
Start forcing rhubarb
Plan your vegetable crop rotations for the coming season
Keep putting out food and water for hungry birds
Inspect any stored tubers for rot or drying out. 
