While the garden may seem dormant, the first green shoots of the coming season are already emerging. To help gardeners stay ahead, horticultural expert Hannah Stephenson has provided a comprehensive month-by-month checklist of essential tasks for the year ahead.
Winter Planning and Early Spring Action
January is the time for preparation and protection. Insulate outdoor taps and repair any damage to fences, greenhouses, or sheds. Remember to water container plants during dry, windy spells. Prune wisteria once its side shoots are visible, and order seeds from catalogues. If you have a frost-free greenhouse, you can sow early crops like lettuce, radishes, and carrots.
In February, focus on pruning. Trim back Group 3 clematis, which flower on the current season's growth, and cut back deciduous hedging before birds begin nesting. Plant summer-flowering bulbs such as lilies in borders or pots, provided the ground is not frozen. This is also an ideal month to plant bare-rooted shrubs, roses, and raspberry canes.
As March arrives, start the battle against weeds. Hoe off seedlings and remove persistent weeds by hand. Enrich and protect your soil by applying a thick, 5cm layer of organic mulch. You can now plant out pot-grown trees, shrubs, and climbers. Prune roses, Buddleia, and dogwoods with coloured stems. If the soil is moist but warming, it's a good time to lay new turf.
Spring Growth and Summer Maintenance
April demands vigilance against slugs. Protect young plants with beer traps, eggshells, hand-picking, or biological nematode controls. Deadhead daffodils and other spring bulbs to direct energy into next year's flowers. Continue sowing vegetables like broad beans and peas directly into prepared soil, and tidy up overcrowded ponds.
Once the frost risk passes in May, plant summer bedding in borders and containers. Prune early-flowering shrubs like forsythia to encourage future blooms. Start French beans, courgettes, and sweetcorn indoors on a sunny windowsill for planting out in June. Place straw around strawberry plants and maintain your lawn with regular mowing and feeding.
June is for nurturing. Plant out tomatoes, ensure they are well-watered, and begin a regular feeding routine. Fill gaps in borders with summer bedding. After flowering, prune deutzia and philadelphus. Thin out fruit on apple and pear trees to improve the size of the remaining crop. Lift spent tulip bulbs for autumn replanting and maintain containers and lawns with regular care.
Late Summer Harvest and Autumn Preparation
In July, cut lavender for drying and prune single-flush roses after they bloom. Take semi-ripe cuttings from shrubs like ceanothus. Ensure tomatoes, aubergines, and peppers are well-watered and fed with a high-potash fertiliser. Keep bird baths topped up and make watering arrangements if you go on holiday.
During August, harvest seeds from sweet peas and poppies for propagation. Take cuttings from pelargoniums and fuchsias. Plant autumn-blooming bulbs and keep ponds topped up. Collect diseased leaves from under roses to prevent issues like blackspot. Remove some tomato leaves to help fruit ripen.
September signals a shift. Plant spring bulbs and lift and divide overcrowded perennials. Thin out pond plants and use netting to catch falling leaves. Start a new compost heap with autumn garden waste. Rake and aerate your lawn, and continue harvesting vegetables, planning how to preserve any gluts.
Use October to gather autumn leaves to make leafmould. Pot up mint or parsley for a windowsill herb garden. Dry seed heads for decorations and lift summer bulbs like gladioli for storage. Reseed any bare patches on the lawn.
Winter Protection and Final Tasks
In November, tidy up but leave some stems and seedheads to protect wildlife. This is the best month to plant tulip bulbs to avoid tulip fire. Lift and store dahlias. Protect new shrubs and trees with fleece and insulate containers with bubble wrap.
Finally, in December, add winter colour with potted skimmia, hellebores, or heathers. Create a homemade Christmas wreath with foliage and berries, and harvest Brussels sprouts, parsnips, and leeks for the festive table.
