Groundwork

It is about now that the first signs of life begin to stir to the garden. With the snowdrops usually reaching their peak around Valentine’s day, our thoughts begin to return to that space outside the back door that has been largely neglected since November. A few sunny days can induce a mild panic and make you wonder about all those winter tasks you had planned and that are still firmly on the to do list.

Late winter is a good time to re-acquaint yourself with the garden. The days are getting longer and the New Year always brings with it a renewed optimism. The sense that you are getting ahead of the game also always feels good and some brisk gardening in the chilly air may even give you a virtuous glow after the excesses of the festive season. 

The apparent dormancy that still blankets the garden will soon give way to the gentle creaking and groaning of new life gathering pace as buds break and stems rise. If you can drag yourself away from the warm fireside, there is plenty that could be done, but only if it is a pleasure and not a chore, in which I would stay by the fire. 

Pruning is a job that can be thoroughly satisfying on a cold winter’s day. It may be a man-thing but arming yourself with loppers, saws and secateurs adds a sense of purpose and shows you mean business. It’s also always nice to look back and see where you have been, and there may even be a bonfire to look forward to. Aside from all the drama (as if that wasn’t enough) pruning is one of those high impact activities that can potentially transform your garden, particularly if it has become overgrown. Many shrubs, like hazel, dogwoods and forsythia, can be drastically reduced at this time of year by cutting all stems almost to the ground (remember you will not get flowers in the first year after such a severe renovation). Most trees can also be pruned in late winter, although not all (cherries for example should be pruned in summer) so it is worth checking first. And now is the perfect time to prune apple and pear trees, which should help to improve fruiting, particularly if they have become old and congested.

If you want to grow fruit and vegetables this year begin planning now. You could even start to ‘chit’ your potatoes (in egg boxes in a cool, light place) and sow some tomato seed in trays on the kitchen windowsill. Raspberry canes, either summer or autumn fruiting ones, are best planted before March, as bare-root stock (roots exposed rather than planted in containers), and many tree fruit varieties can also be purchased this way. If you can only get hold of container grown stock it is fine to plant them now too. If you can bear the thought it is also almost time to sow your brussels sprouts.