Prepare your garden for the new year
Prepare your garden for the new year with expert advice from Haskins’ Alasdair Urquhart.
The turn of the new year is the time to plan, prepare, and plant your garden so it can flourish in the warmer months. Alasdair Urquhart, Haskins Garden Centre’s in-house plant expert, has shared his top tips for tending to your outdoor spaces in the early months of the year.
Back your birds
“Natural food sources are scarcer in winter, so it is important to look after birds visiting your garden – according to the RSPB*, the population of birds in the UK has fallen almost 20% since 1980. National Nest Box Week runs from 14th – 21st February 2025, a time to focus on supporting dwindling bird populations in the UK.
“Hang out feeders with an assortment of foods, such as bruised apples, sunflower seeds, and peanuts to attract a diverse range of feathered friends, like robins and chaffinches. Provide shelter by installing bird boxes in a north-easterly position to protect birds from the brightest sunshine and the coldest winds.
“The start of a new year is a great time to declutter sheds and garages by clearing out gardening tools that are worn or no longer required. Maintain your tools by sharpening them and also be sure to clean your flower pots, as well as any garden furniture.”
Sort your soil
“As temperatures fall in the winter months, crop growth in the garden slows down. Cover your soil with black plastic sheeting to retain heat and encourage seeds to germinate, allowing for early spring planting. Warm soil also acts as a natural pest deterrent, preventing harmful weeds from germinating.
“Improve drainage of clay soil areas by adding grit or coarse sand to encourage the soil to naturally open up. Water retention in sandy soils can be improved by adding well-rotted organic matter such as food waste. Better drainage in your soil reduces crop damage and allows roots to access oxygen and water more effectively, encouraging healthy growth.”
Prepare and plant
“Bedding plants such as primrose, violets, and pansies act as winter warmers, producing flowers with iridescent colours from mid-winter. Winter flowering shrubs also add depth to your borders. Mahonia, a tough, spiny-leaved, evergreen shrub with sweetly scented yellow flowers is a popular choice for this time of year.
“You can also get a head start in the kitchen garden by sowing vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, chillies, aubergines, and cucumbers. These vegetables need a minimum temperature of 18 degrees centigrade to germinate, so a heated propagator offers ideal growth conditions. However, a sunny indoor windowsill is equally as effective in the early months of the year. Other vegetables to sow are salad leaves, broad beans, peas, spinach, spring onions, and carrots.”
