The Garden House Tasks for January
Posted:8 January 2026
We always find it hard in January to keep our fingers from being busy! Keen to get going but it really is best to wait – lots of jobs to do but they can all wait until later in the month – if you have a heated mat, propagator or heated greenhouse then it is easier to get going – here are a few tasks we plan to do sometime in January depending on the weather.
Please bear in mind these tasks are not a comprehensive look at all garden aspects, but relate directly to our monthly work in the Garden House garden, inspiring and teaching the volunteers, students and Friday group gardeners who get stuck in and support the development of this unique Brighton garden.
*Look out for emerging Snowdrops, a joy to behold in January/February!
* We sowed some sweet peas in November but are going to experiment with three sowings and so the next one will be in January – we will also sow Cobaea Scandens, Antirrhinums, Cleomes, Chillies, Aubergines and Iceland poppies…and, at the end of the month, Nicotiana. All these plants need a long period of time from seed to flowering, and most require around 21 degrees to get going, so it is best to use a propagator or heat mat to maintain this temperature. For example Antirrhinums take 20 weeks from sowing to flowering and of course chilli plants fruit from August.
*At the end of the month sow some Dahlias – we will be sowing D. ‘Bishop’s Children’ for the cutting beds this year.
*The final tulips have gone in – hurrah!
*There are a few random Narcissi that escaped their packets so they will be scattered into a pot and we will watch this space.
*Order Dahlias and other summer bulbs, tubers etc – lots of good offers at the moment – we try and choose three of each sort as we are thinking about summer displays in large pots.
*Cut off the older leaves of Hellebores to reveal their flowers and prevent disease such as Helleborus black spot.
*Plant a pot to give some cheer in January with a Camellia, some cyclamen and variegated ivy – add some Helleborus niger for extra interest.
*Continue to prune climbing roses and Wisteria – water and give a trug full of compost to them – it’s like us having a tonic when we have been ill! Prune Wisteria to two or three buds from the lateral stems and remove any stems twining through the main framework that you may have missed when summer pruning.
*Prune bush and shrub roses.
*Plant bare root trees and shrubs, also roses – they are much cheaper than potted varieties and also establish very quickly.
*Sort out your seeds and make plans for sowing dates.
*Clean greenhouses and cold frames ready for spring, and check for hibernating snails!
*Prune Apples, Pears, Crab Apples and Quince to remove any dead, diseased or damaged wood. Also any crossing branches to allow a good air flow. Reduce the length of last year’s long shoots to around three buds to encourage fruiting spurs on lateral branches.
*Remove dead leaves and plant debris from borders and begin to cut back grasses but be mindful of new shoots.
And remember – Spring will soon be here!