January

Sow Chilli 

Chilies can be the first seeds you sow in the new year. Place them on a windowsill above a radiator or on a heated bench, as they are slow to germinate they need some heat. 

Sow them into trays, then transplant them into plugs when the seedlings develop leaves, repot them again in March and into their final pots in May. Chilies hate being waterlogged but like plenty of water, so use free-draining compost.  

Winter Weeding

Your garden doesn’t sleep during Winter. If you like your garden tidy, you can begin to cut back the dead top growth on perennials and tidy up your borders. Doing this will reveal new shoots which are already growing. Winter is an excellent time to weed, as there is less risk of standing on plants or damaging fresh shoots and buds.  

Choose and order your seeds

Growing your flowers, fruits and vegetables from seed is the cheapest way to fill your garden.

There is no need to rush this. Take the time to plan out your garden, think about what fruit and vegetables would you like to eat or what colour scheme would you like? As long as they are ordered by the end of January, you have plenty of time to sow and grow them.  

You can browse online, in catalogues and in garden centres- just make sure to check the quantities of seeds/ bulbs in each packet as this varies from packet to packet. It may be cheaper to buy larger quantities per packet.