With the new year in its infancy, the short, dark days can feel never-ending – but the good news is that spring is just around the corner. With it will come more time spent out in the garden and enjoying being in nature once again, and for many, it’s the most positive season of the year.
To ensure you’re prepped and ready to get the most out of it, there’s no better time to start planning ahead and making a list of gardening tasks to tick off before those longer, lighter days return. It might still be chilly out there, but getting a head start in winter will set you up for success by the time spring arrives.
We asked the experts at respected garden retailer Johnson’s Seeds to share their top tips and some of the tasks you can get going with now.
Plan your layout
It’s often said that the greatest joy in life comes from the time spent looking forward to things rather than the things themselves, and starting to think about your garden offers a great opportunity to do just that. If you’ve been dreaming of giving your garden a complete glow-up for 2025, then it’s time to get creative.
The best way to get started is to sketch out your garden on paper and work out from here where you’d like everything to go – including any new beds you plan to dig, patios you’d like to lay and if you’re thinking of adding a garden room, where that will be located. Whilst planning out your beds, you’ll need to ensure they are in prime position to allow your chosen plants to thrive, so consider the amount of sunlight they’ll need, as well as proximity to other plants and drainage.
If you’re happy with your current layout, then this task should be a whole lot easier – and in fact, you can skip straight ahead to selecting your plants.
Choose your plants
In order to do this effectively, you’ll need to have some idea of what type of plants you’d like to incorporate into your garden in the first place. Do you want to stick to those that produce beautiful blooms in the springtime, or would you like to try your hand at growing your own vegetables or herbs?
Take the time to think about where in your layout you’ll put each category, and consider crop rotation, which is key for maintaining healthy soil and minimising the risk of pests and diseases – both of which can quickly spoil a carefully curated garden.
Handle essential maintenance
If you downed tools back in the autumn and haven’t looked at your gardening equipment since, then now is the ideal time to do some essential maintenance. A well cared for garden takes quality tools that have been well looked-after, so don’t leave them to rust until the springtime.
Use the winter months to clean, sharpen and repair your tools to get them ready for the year’s tasks. Removing debris might seem pointless when you’re only going to get them dirty again next time, but rinsing down your rake, shovel and trowel will prevent them from deteriorating over time. Be sure to dry them off thoroughly and store them somewhere away from moisture until you need them again.
Start seeding – indoors
A great way to get ahead of the curve with your gardening is to start seeding now. It’s too cold to do it outdoors in the winter, but sowing them indoors and allowing them to start taking root now will stand them in good stead for when it’s time to plant them into your beds out in the garden later on in the year.
As a general rule of thumb, you can start to sow your seeds from between six and eight weeks before you expect the frosty winter weather to end. It’s always going to be a rough estimate as the weather is famously unpredictable at this time of year – but planting herbs like basil and oregano, as well as peppers and tomatoes, in seed trays and sports and placing them under grow lamps at this time will mean they are several steps ahead come March.
Prepare your soil
A beautiful garden starts with a great foundation, and preparing your soil is key. Although it’s likely usually on your early spring to-do list, you can get a head start by testing its pH, nutrient levels and drainage capabilities to gain an understanding of what it needs to be at its best.
You might need to wait a couple of months before you can begin making the required changes once you know what you’re dealing with, but one thing you can do sooner, rather than later, is adding some organic compost. It’ll break down between now and springtime, leaving you with more fertile beds and be easier to work with when the time comes.
