In full bloom! JANUARY BACKYARD GUIDE

Here's how to make the most of the season where holidays, heat and harvest collide!

- 

Harvest festival

Many crops will be ready to harvest, such as early plums, apricots, potatoes and lettuces. Veges, such as courgettes, peas and beans, need to be picked daily, particularly if the weather is warm, as does deadheading flowers to encourage more blooms and picking those crops to stimulate more. Once the birds start nibbling at apples, they are ripe enough to pick. Be vigilant and harvest as soon as this starts.

Fight the dry

Soil is at the heart of the more drought-proof garden. Soils rich in organic matter and/or heavier clay retain moisture better than light, sandy or stony ones. Bare soil loses moisture faster than those with plant cover, shade or mulching. Always water long enough to let it soak in a long way. If heading away, gather indoor pot plants into the coolest bathroom, laundry or kitchen where they are less likely to dry out – and easier to water should you rely on someone coming in to do it. Grouped plants also create a microclimate less conducive to drying out. Outdoor pots can do with the shade, at the south side of the house, perhaps.