10 gardening tips for January

There are still a lot of things you can do out in the garden even during the winter, including looking after our wildlife friends.

1. It’s time to prepare for growing in the year ahead: clean and sharpen your tools and, if necessary, replace tools.
2. Dust and scrub your pots, trays and labels.
3. Check you have enough of the seeds you intend to sow and that they are in date. How about arranging a seed swap with fellow gardeners?
4. Sow sweet peas in long pots.
5. Keep on clearing winter debris from your beds and mulch them with leaf mould, bark or compost: watch out for emerging bulbs!
6. Provide food for the birds in your garden. Why not try making your own bird cake?
7. Prune autumn-fruiting raspberries to soil level.
8. Prune grape vines.
9. If you’ve made a New Year’s resolution to eat more healthily, try simple sprouting seeds: quick, easy and delicious in salad.
10. Ensure house plants are regularly watered as central heating may dry them out faster than expected.

With thanks to Catherine Cutler.