January
1st-7th
- There probably won't be much to do at this point as it's usually freezing cold and horrible. It's best to stay inside.
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7th-14th
- Over the next two months, try some of these (Gardener's World mag, Jan 2004):
- Dig the soil over in vacant parts of the vegetable patch;
- Prepare soil where new lawns are to go;
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14th-21st
- Cut out new beds and borders, working in plenty of compost;
- Keep off the grass as much as possible; lay a temporary path if nec;
- Treat timber sheds and fences with wood preservative;
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21st-28th
- Sort out shed contents, clean and oil garden tools, service the lawn-mower, (yeah, right...!)
- Check the greenhouse (what?) regularly if it's used in winter, and ventilate on fine days. Pick over plants to remove dead leaves, snails or other pests;
- Protect containers from frost by wrapping them in bubble polythene or standing them in a garage, shed or conservatory;
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28th-31st
- (Start) pruning forsythia...
- Make icy paths sage by sprinklng them with sand or grit;
- Cut the grass if it grows during mild spells. Take care not to leave it too short.
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February
1st-7th
- First bulbs (remember that you can include more than one layer).
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7th-14th
- Add compost/mulch to beds.
- Sort out compost bin
- Check for spaces for new evergreens...
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14th-21st
- Add compost to container pots
- Seeds for indoor planting
- Treat peach/plum trees with stuff
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21st-28th
- Seeds for indoor planting
- Mow lawn if weather is suitable
- or, give spring feed???
- 25th, 2003, planted flower seeds indoors
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March
1st-7th
- Sow early vegetable seeds for lean-to: parsnips, broad beans, onions, beetroot, carrots, kohl rabi, leeks, peas, radish, mangetout, spinach, turnips
- Prune roses
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- Treat peach/plum with bordeaux mixture
- Cut back dogwood and buddleja severely
- New bulbs for summer/autumn flowering
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7th-14th
- Bring pond pump out of storage and place back in pond. Pond heater removed. Lift, divide and replant marginals that have grown too large. Remove invasive plants and thin out any which have become too vigorous
- Sort out hanging baskets
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14th-21st
- The bees have started!
- Treat roses with stuff.
- Re-cut worn or damaged lawn edges. Scarify lawns thoroughly.
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21st-28th
- Ant attack!
- First mowing around this point.
- Pick off dead flowerheads from spring-flowering bulbs. Scatter fertiliser round each clump.
- Check for slugs and snails.
- Feed lawn.
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28th-31st
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April
1st-7th
- Begin weekly mowing of lawn.
- Start re-patching lawn.
- Bindweed alert!
- Sprinkly fertiliser around established drifts of winter and spring flowering bulbs like aconites, snowdrops, crocus and narcissus.
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7th-14th
- 11th, 2003, Gardeners' World
- Sow peas and mangetout outside.
- Start sowing rows of lettuce (every other week).
- Start sowing salad leaves in pot(s).
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14th-21st
- Sow courgette, marrow, squash, tomato, sweetcorn and French beans in pots indoors/lean-to.
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21st-28th
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May
1st-7th
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7th-14th
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14th-21st
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21st-28th
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28th-31st
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June
1st-7th
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7th-14th
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14th-21st
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21st-28th
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28th-30th
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July
1st-7th
- Outside painting: front windows
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7th-14th
- Outside painting: back windows
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14th-21st
- Outside painting: back windows
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21st-28th
- Somewhere in all this, we need to ensure that the winter crops are growing. These include leeks, cabbages, onions, spring onions. They need to be large enough to plant out when the other vegetables have come in, especially in the vegetable plot. Make sure there are quite a few spring onions for the kitchen garden.
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28th-31st
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August
1st-7th
- Ensure evergreens are okay - soon the other plants will be going, leaving us with only these...
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7th-14th
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14th-21st
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21st-28th
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28th-31st
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September
1st-7th
- New bulbs for winter/spring flowering
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7th-14th
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14th-21st
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21st-28th
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28th-30th
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October
1st-7th
- Check for spaces for new evergreens and winter colour
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7th-14th
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14th-21st
- Autumn feed the lawn (until mid-November)
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21st-28th
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28th-30th
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November
1st-7th
- Leaves, leaves, leaves...
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7th-14th
- Should be thinking about pruning the trees at this point.
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14th-21st
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21st-28th
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28th-30th
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December
1st-7th
- Prune back desiduous things (buddleja?)
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7th-14th
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14th-21st
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21st-28th
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28th-31st
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