January

Christmas and New Year have passed, the celebrations are over and we are in the midst of probably the coldest part of the year: but the garden still offers a refuge and space to enjoy. There is still plenty to do, and after the seasonal feasting you may feel the benefit of a little fresh air and gentle exercise in the garden. Wrap up warm, beware of icy surfaces and do as little or as much as you fancy – interspersed with plenty of hot drinks!

First off, festive foliage and Christmas trees can be cleared away, cut up and added to your garden waste bin or taken to a household waste and recycling site. These materials can also be composted at home, but holly and fir trees take a long time to rot down. If you have the space and inclination, it has been suggested that whole Christmas trees can be left in a corner of the garden to provide valuable shelter for wildlife.

Clearing

If you have climbing plants you will doubtless find that some of them will have outgrown their available space, so this is a great time to tidy them up before the nesting season begins.

Take the time to have a good look around the garden. Any collapsed stems and damaged or diseased foliage can be removed along with any fallen leaves that may still be lingering. These basic hygiene procedures help to maintain good plant health.

Cleaning

If you feel like getting energetic with a broom and bucket of soapy water, removing any moss and algae from paths will give a speedy makeover and make them less slippery in winter conditions.

Pruning

It’s an ideal time to cut back trees and shrubs to maintain shape and stimulate growth. A benefit of winter pruning is you can clearly see the structure of the plant unencumbered by foliage, so take advantage of the window of opportunity before spring arrives with all its new growth.

Weeding

To be honest, it isn’t much fun weeding in the winter, but rooting out perennial weeds now will make life so much easier when the growing season really takes hold. This is dependent of course on the ground not being frozen and unyielding to fork or trowel!

Supporting wildlife

Now is the perfect time to put up bird boxes in advance of the nesting season, giving prospective residents plenty of time to view and choose their new homes. The birds will also appreciate high-energy foods, like fat balls and peanuts, to help them through the winter. If you are able to provide fresh water this is also really important to wildlife in the winter, when many natural sources of water may freeze over.

Tip for frosty bins

At this time of year, as the temperatures come down and nights are frosty the contents of the brown bin can get frozen to the side and then it may not empty fully when tipped upside down on the back of the lorry. To ensure a complete empty, if you are placing your bin out for collection after a frosty night please just give it a stir with a garden fork or similar to ensure nothing is stuck to the sides.

Want the garden waste collection service?

Wealden’s Garden Waste Service enables residents to subscribe to have up to four garden waste bins emptied on a fortnightly basis. The new subscription year has already started but you can still sign up by visiting www.wealden.gov.uk/gardenwaste. If you have already subscribed but want an extra bin please call us on 01323 443322. Happy gardening!