Page 20 - Oundle Life January 2021

Get gardening...
NEW YEAR AND
JANUARY IN THE GARDEN
After all the build up and excitement of Christmas, we can all feel a little flat come the start of January. As we start reflecting on the year we’ve left behind (and what a year 2020 proved to be) it’s naturally a time to begin making plans for the new year ahead. As you look out your window over the
rather damp and soggy garden,
the scent of summer flowers
and warm sun on our skin feels
a million miles away. January
however is the perfect time to
start gathering ideas and making
plans for your garden ready to
enjoy in those warmer spring
and summer months ahead.
Spring flowering bulbs such as
daffodils and tulips should have
been planted back in the autumn,
but don’t worry if you didn’t get
around to doing this job, as you
will be able to buy some potted
up versions already beginning to sprout from garden centres. These can be planted out and will reward you with bright blooms in a few more weeks once spring arrives. You will also find the full range of both flower and vegetable seeds in stock so head out to the garden centre with your list whilst the biggest choice is available. Seed potatoes will be appearing in store soon too and are super easy to grow, even in a large tub if you don’t fancy digging the ground.
Now the Christmas decorations have been packed away your home can feel a little bare. Houseplants could help fill some of those gaps. From large floor standing plants like a Fiddle Leaf Fig, cascading tumblers like Devil’s Ivy or String of Hearts flowing from a shelf, there is a houseplant for every room in your home. Lots of people worry about killing houseplants, and it is true some are fussier and do require more attention than others, but some such as Peace
Lily’s are pretty bomb proof and have the added bonus of helping to purify the air in your home.
The end of January sees the return of the annual RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch where
you can take an hour over the weekend and record birds and other wildlife seen in your own garden. We have a wide range of different wild bird food available along with different feeders to encourage feathered visitors to your garden. It can take the birds a few weeks to learn where new feeders are, so don’t feel disappointed if they don’t instantly appear. www.thebarngardencentre.co.uk
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