As landscapers and garden designers in Surrey and West London we are used to working with heavy clay soils. In a previous blog written about clay soils way back in November I said that there were many plants that do well in such conditions….so after much waiting here are a few of my favourites.

It’s hard to believe it after one of the coldest Decembers on record but we are now entering the coldest month of the year. This is the heart of winter. Despite this things are stirring in the garden.

I have made several of New Years resolutions, one of which is to keep a garden diary and what better time to start it! Record the changes you make and plant varieties you introduce.

In the garden.

Whilst other plants may lie dormant winter germinating weed seedlings are growing. Keep on top of them as you walk around the garden by pulling out the larger ones as you see them.

As long as your lawn has thawed out you can carry out some remedial work in January. Badly draining parts of the lawn can be easily identified; they are lower patches that hold water for longer. When the lawn has dried out a bit push a regular garden fork 15cm into the ground and wiggle to open up holes. These holes can be made at roughly 15cm intervals over the problem area. Spread horticultural sand over the area and brush into the holes to prevent the holes closing up. It’s a job well worth carrying out.

Having carried out your research last month it’s time to take the plunge and order your seeds, summer flowering bulbs and perennials. Sticking to the older tried and tested varieties is safest but its well worth including a few new ones as well. Store your seeds when they arrive in a dry, cool and dark place. Most bulbs and perennials won’t arrive until you need to plant them.

Trees Shrubs and climbers.

Some of the more robust climbers such as Hedera, wisteria, Hydrangea and Parthenocisus can overwhelm their supports and may cause structural damage. Keep them in check, and clear of gutters, window frames etc.

Flowering plants.

Sweet peas can be sown now, I sow them in the cardboard centres from toilet and kitchen rolls. They don’t need high temperatures for germination, a cold frame will suffice, but soaking seeds overnight to soften the seed coat will speed up germination.

Vegetable plot.

Forcing Rhubarb encourages young tender stems in spring; a friend of mine ate Rhubarb gently stewed in orange juice for breakfast for what seemed like weeks on end and she’s only got a couple of plants! To get it to come earlier try using a terracotta bell jar and cover it with fresh horse manure. The heat given off by the composting manure will give it a head start.

Potatoes – there is nothing better than harvesting and eating your home grown spuds. I grew some in bags on my patio last year and they were brilliant. You can start looking out for seed potatoes now. Chitting increases the yield and brings the harvesting date forward. To chit your potatoes put the tubers into egg boxes ‘eyes’ pointing up. Plant them out in March and cover green shoots as they appear.

Whilst the glories of summer seem to have long gone there should still be lots of interest in your garden. Bright berries, colourful stems, variegated evergreens and winter flowering shrubs can carry the interest on throughout winter.

There is, as always, still plenty to be done in the garden. You will probably still be raking up leaves so why not make some leaf mold out of them. This is an excellent soil improver and can also be used as a seed sowing medium. Easy to make, simply fill black bin liners with the leaves, pressing them down firmly. When they are full, tie the tops and puncture the sides with a garden fork to allow excess moisture to escape. Then, hide them away in a corner for a year or two. Alternatively add them to your compost heap along with the pruning’s you will generate from later flowering perennials that still need to be cut back.

Now is also the time to put your tools to bed for the winter. Clean power tools of all plant material and dirt. Replace worn spark plugs, oil all necessary parts, and sharpen blades. Store all tools in their proper place indoors, if that’s not possible then make sure they are well covered and protected from the elements. Clean and oil your garden tools. Place some sand and some oil in a large bucket, and then slide your garden tools in and out of the sand. This will do an excellent job of cleaning them, as well as applying a light coat of oil to prevent rusting. This is also a good month to restock any tools that have seen better days; you may be able to pick up some bargains whilst prices are lower.

It has been a particularly cold start for all this year and looks unlikely to warm up that much. There is not a great deal to be done in the garden with it either covered in snow or hard with frost, so why not take the opportunity to order catalogues and get all your gardening and plant books out. Start planning for next year!

If you are lucky enough to have space for vegetables and the ground is not too water logged or frozen, dig a trench for next years runner beans and start putting all your kitchen waste into it; cover over each time with soil to prevent animals and birds from getting at it. You can also start digging manure into any vacant areas. Digging the soil over now will allow the weather to break it down into a lovely fine tilth ready for leveling and sowing in the spring, particularly if your soil has a high clay content.

Do you have soil that gets sticky and water logged when wet? When it dries out it sets as hard as concrete? Well don’t despair, things are not as bad as they may at first seem. I’d much rather have a clay soil than chalky or sandy, it’s just a question of learning how to make the most of what you have got.

Coping with a clay soil can be one of the most challenging aspects of gardening, particularly for beginners, so hear are a few pointers.

There are advantages to having clay soil, the main one being that it holds many more nutrients than sandy soils. By adding organic matter either dug in to the soil or as a top dressing on a yearly basis the structure of the soil can be greatly improved. Manure and composted bark are both good, some people also recommend adding grit to improve the soil profile, but on a large scale this is impractical due to the quantity required to have any benefit.

There is also a considerable range of plants that are quite happy growing in heavy soils, and even some that will improve the soil make up for you. When planting it is important to thoroughly break up the soil at the bottom and the sides of the hole so as to create free drainage abound the new plant. I would also delay planting until spring so that the roots have less time to become waterlogged and cold before the soil begins to warm up and the plants begin to grow.