The start of the new year marks your last few weeks on easy street before seed-sowing starts in earnest. Make the most of it by finishing off the winter jobs and getting ready for the new season.
General tasks:
- Keep an eye out for overwintering weeds as some, like chickweed, can still set seed and spread in milder spells.
- Check trees and shrubs you planted in autumn to make sure the frost hasn't lifted the roots out of the ground.
Ornamental garden:
- Plant low box hedging for an elegant formal edging to parterres and knot gardens, spacing plants about 20cm apart.
- Prune wisteria back to two or three buds from the main stems to tidy it up and show off flowers at their best.
- Sow sweet peas in root trainer modules under cover for a scented display this summer.
Kitchen garden:
- Chit seed potatoes by setting them out in egg boxes. Place somewhere bright and frost-free to sprout.
- Prune grape vines while they're still dormant, cutting back the side shoots to within one or two buds of the main stem.
- Force rhubarb by covering the crowns with an upside down black dustbin or large plant pot with the holes blocked for long, slender, sweet stems within about eight weeks.