January in the Garden...

• 1 Prune roses while still dormant. Cut back to just above a bud and remove any crossing or dead branches.
• 2 Clean pots and greenhouses ready for spring. Check stakes, supports and ties that might have been damaged in bad weather.
• 3 Empty compost heaps to use as mulch, spread it on the garden to enrich your soil and provide you with healthy plants later in the year.
• 4 Bare root trees and shrubs can be planted now, if the weather is good. Try planting scented shrubs such as Sarcococca confusa and Daphne odora by paths and doorways to enjoy their sweet scent.
• 5 Begin pruning apple and pear trees if you haven't done so already, this is best done while the plants are still dormant.
• 6 Keep putting out food and water for hungry birds as they are still active throughout the winter months.
• 7 Cut back the old foliage from ornamental grasses before new growth begins – cut back to within a few centimetres of the ground.
• 8 Remove old hellebore leaves – this will make new blooms more visible as they emerge in the spring.