Wilkinsons Landscaping

January is all about getting yourself set for the year ahead; getting your garden in order so it can bloom to full potential in the months to come.

We are still firmly in Winter, and trees and shrubs have shed their leaves. By now many will have been blown by the wind to settle in a quieter corner of your garden, but I’m sure many readers will have a lawn pox-marked with leaves, now rotting thanks to the wet weather. I strongly recommend investing in a good quality leaf blower; it certainly beats getting down on your knees. Leaf grabber gloves - which look a bit like diving flippers for your hands - are also an inexpensive tool for this task.

Once the debris has been collected you can use them for compost – a great way of adding nutrients to borders, but be careful not to mix any seed pods in, or you’re just making more work for yourself further down the line.

Bare branches also give you an opportunity to see the true structure of trees, giving you the chance to consider how best to shape and prune them. Fruit trees, such as apple, pear and plums, really benefit from winter pruning which encourages strong new growth. Cutting at nodes (leaf buds) can cause the tree to send out two shoots, rather than one. Take action to prevent branches crossing as this can lead to damage and promotes the onset of fungus and other plant diseases. You want air and light to reach your fruits!

With the temperature flirting around freezing it’s a great opportunity to have Jack Frost do some work for you. It’s time to dig over your garden and vegetable patches so that Winter frosts can help break up the soil. Having looser well-aerated soil will not only boost the quality and yield, but also make removing weeds easier when the time comes.

In most cases, greenhouses are out of action for the winter, so now is an ideal time to carry out maintenance like replacing broken glass, refreshing soil or gravel, cleaning windows and clearing out any plant materials from the previous season.

Caution is king when dealing with herbaceous perennials. It can be tempting to hack back dead foliage but be careful how you go. As they retract into the ground, dead foliage acts as an insulator from frost damage and if you remove too much you run the risk of damaging your chances of having new shoots when the warm weather returns.

The grass is greener on the side that is looked after best. Winter is a tough time to look after your turf and you run the risk of causing damage if you bring out the mower. To give your lawn the best chance of bouncing back in spring you can aerate it using a fork to pop some small holes in, which are great for drainage. Or if like me you love a gadget and gizmo, you can buy specialist tools and even spiked shoes to do the job.

Finally, January is a time of reflection and planning. Take the opportunity to think about what you want from your garden and start to plan what activity needs doing and when. Take a look through gardening magazines and websites like Pinterest which will give you a flavour for the aesthetic you want. An experienced landscaper who can create a design to suit your garden’s location, size and shape, but keep in mind that it is best to take one on sooner rather than later as most have a waiting list of several months.

Whether you leave it to the professionals or take up a trowel yourself, remember that while a garden can be about keeping up with the Joneses if you let it, they are also a chance to unwind, be creative, and enjoy yourself.