Ok, so even I feel a tad reluctant to get out in the garden in January, it's not looking particularly inviting out there.

When I do head out, my finger tips get so cold I don’t last for long. So this weekend is earmarked for some time in the greenhouse.

Admittedly it’s a bit of mess in there after a productive summer, so a clean and tidy is in order.

Old plants need removing, a good brush out, followed by a wash down, cleaning the glass and easing out dirt trapped between the panes, Jeyes fluid being my preferred choice. But any domestic disinfectant or detergent will do.

Removing algae, moss and grime will help control pests and diseases and will let in more light making a better growing environment for plants.

While I’m at it I’ll give my planting pots a clean, plunging them into my big flexi trug filled with the same cleaning solution.

Kitchen Gardening

You can also use this colder time to do a bit of gardening from inside, planning what you’d like to change or make better this year.

If you’ve never grown from seed before I urge you to give it a go, it’s the most cost effective way of gardening and just requires a bit of time and a little effort. But therewards from growing your own are immeasurable.

If you do, already, grow from seed this is time to check seed stock to see if they are:

A) Out of date. For the sake of the price of a seed packet it’s worth replacing quite regularly to avoid poor germination, which is very frustrating.

B) Empty. I keep the old packets as a reminder of what to reorder

C) Missing. With seed catalogues arriving daily its lovely to see what new and exciting varieties of flowers and veg are out there to give a go.

Tidy your tools

While its quieter time in the garden get the mower booked in for a service and get your garden tools sharpened so they are ready for when you want to use them in the spring.