As the summer heat builds, so does the colour in the garden in January, with hot-pink hollyhocks, magenta poppies and fiery heleniums. One of the best new plants I put in last year was the bold foxglove hybrid, Digitalis x valinii ‘Illumination Raspberry’, which produces deep pink blooms with speckled apricot throats. A cross between the common foxglove and the Canary Island foxglove, Digitalis canariensis, it is perennial, but can be slightly tender, so is best grown in a sheltered spot in very well-drained soil. In my garden it has survived the winter, with temperatures down to -6°C, and I think it’s worth the gamble for its eye-catching spires. You only need to have the odd plant dotted here and there for maximum effect.
Most of the perennials have reached their peak height now and, despite the fact that my borders are densely planted and designed for the plants to be self-supporting, some clumps will need propping up at this time of year, particularly if high winds are forecast. I put in a few metal supports in May or June before the growth gets going, but I often have to add makeshift supports at this time of year to save tall-stemmed ammi, dahlias or swaying drifts of campanulas. I use canes and string, which soon become pretty much invisible among the lush foliage and flowers.
The kitchen garden is coming into its own, with plenty of flowers woven in among the vegetables. It is not the most tidy plot, but I am a great believer in companion planting and am relaxed about poppies, linaria, verbena and marigolds that self-seed around the edges of the beds and in the gravel paths. The blooms attract pollinators and beneficial insects, which keep pests such as aphids and carrot fly under control, and they make the plot look softer round the edges and fill it with heart-lifting colour. It also means I have more flowers to cut for the house.
January’s garden tasks
- Use harvested rainwater to water plants
- Pick sweet peas every few days to prolong flowering
- Cut back early-summer perennials
- Feed and deadhead roses to keep them flowering longer
- Plant autumn bulbs, such as nerines
- Sow biennials if you didn’t manage to do it last month
- Check beans and other crops for aphids
- Sow salad leaves, chard and turnips
What to plant in January
- Spring cabbage
- Turnips
- Oriental vegetables like pak choi
- Chicory
- Fennel
- Autumn/winter salads
- Leeks
- Brassicas
- Spinach
- Dwarf French beans
- Chard
- Carrots
- Peas
What's blooming in January (Plus some more tips)
Dahlias will be flowering profusely by the end of the month. Tall stems will need to be supported to keep the heavy blooms upright. Regularly dead-head and harvest flowers. An organic seaweed feed every couple of weeks will keep your plants healthy and give you armfuls of blooms until the first frosts.
Greenhouses need ventilation at this time of year. Keep the windows and doors open during hot spells. Water early in the morning or in the evening and ‘damp down’ paths and floors to create some humidity. If required, apply shading paint to the glass.
Feed tomatoes and peppers regularly and continue to remove side shoots to keep your plants strong. If you are growing tomatoes outdoors, water early in the morning and at the roots to prevent blight. Tie in shoots on cordon tomatoes to stop heavy branches from snapping off.
Prune your wisteria if it has become out of control. The long new shoots can be trimmed back to about 6-8 inches from the main growing branches. This can then be repeated in January and February. If your prized wisteria is looking weak or has failed to flower, check for wisteria scale.
Thin biennial seedlings that were sown in June. If they have been sown into a seed bed, space out the seedlings and ensure that the bed is kept weed free. If you were swept away by the beauty of the foxgloves this year, you still have time to sow a batch for next year.
Cut back herbs for drying. Marjoram and oregano can be harvested for drying now, before the flowers come. Lavender can be cut when it is just coming into flower - the dried flowers are great natural moth repellent, as well as being useful in the kitchen. Basil can be sown directly outside now, or into terracotta pots for handy windowsill herbs over the next few months. Sow in batches every couple of weeks for a continuous supply.
Ensure planted containers are watered regularly. If you are going on holiday, drench plants before you leave and use saucers under plant pots, if you have these available. Failing that, ask a kind neighbour or fellow allotmenteer to water in your absence – at least you can have an enjoyable holiday without worrying about the garden!
Remove spent blooms from pelargoniums and other bedding plants on a regular basis. This will ensure that they flower continuously throughout the summer. If Nemesias, Diascias and Petunias have already run to seed; give them a little hair cut to remove the seed heads and a liquid seaweed feed, this will then reward you with a second flourish in a couple of weeks.
If you have a garden pond, ensure that blanket weed is removed on a regular basis. During hot spells, make sure that the water levels are always topped up for the health of the plants and fish. Dead-head aquatic plants and remove any invasive plants before they take over.
Cut flowers will be in abundance during January. Ensure that sweet peas are picked on a daily basis and watered adequately to promote more flowering. Larkspur, zinnias, calendulas and dahlias make fantastic displays in vases. Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’, macleaya, filipendula and phlox are some of the many perennials that you can use for larger vessels to create a floral drama in the home. For a dinner party show stopper, float flowers in large bowls and scatter across the table.
