• Snowdrops are easy to grow and now is the time to plant them up. While the ground isn't ice locked, divide clumps of small green snowdrops, plant the bulbs deep, and water them well. Often the leaves on the newly planted snowdrops drops, but by next winter they should be well rooted and a fine established colony.

• Hellebores can also be planted up now. They look good from January to May – even when their seed has set, their sepals look wonderful, eventually becoming green. They can be found in the forest but they are very sensitive to being re-planted, seeds can now be found in good garden centers, and scattered around the edges of the garden.

• Clear up old forgotton parts of the garden, removing old stems and tidy up the area.

• The early spring gales to clear out the old will be rushing in soon so keep an eye on thr small plants and herbs that they don't become smothered by fallen leaves and other wind-blown debris.

• January is the time to prune back climbing roses, it's only the side shoots of the climbing roses that are pruned. This eventually builds up a framework that can be tied in to fences and walls.

• Sort out the seeds, throwing away empty and and years old seeds and note down any wishes for the coming season.

• Cover the rhubarb plants over, with a bucket or terracotta pot to force an early crop of tender long stems.

• Prune the blackcurrants and redcurrants, removing about a quarter of the old stems, and clearing the area around the base of the plants.

Peter Carvello,

January 2026.