A new year takes hold

The end of 2013 was for hibernation, but the month of January and the first snowdrops, will encourage us back into the garden, writes Peter Dowdall

WELCOME to 2014 in the garden. Last year is put to bed at this stage and a new gardening year, with all of its promise of new growth and opportunities, awaits.

January is the month for fresh starts, and resolutions to change your life that may already have been broken. So, too, in the garden, this is the month for change. Our body clocks may have forced us inwards to hibernate during the end of last year, but our connection to nature and the natural world will start forcing us out of doors towards the end of this month.

Most mature shrubs, both deciduous and evergreen, can be moved over the next month or two, as the root-ball lies dormant underneath the soil. Move them to their new home now and they will start to unfurl their roots, and establish as the temperatures begin to climb in the spring. It can be dramatic, the difference that moving one or more mature shrubs and trees makes. Most herbaceous plants can be lifted during this month and divided.

With all the excitement of a new year in the garden, and all the possibilities that brings, it is difficult to decide what to focus on — by the time we see the first, brave snowdrop poking its delicate little head above the icy soil this month, we want to get out and start gardening again.

If you didn’t get around to planting these early-flowering beauties during the autumn, then fear not, as they will be readily available over the next few weeks ‘in the green’ This term refers to the fact that the bulbs will be actively growing and in-flower and this is the best way to source snowdrops, as clumps will establish more successfully than bulbs that are planted in the autumn.

Did you know that there is more than one type of snowdrop? In fact, there are dozens of them, with bulbs of some of the most sought-after varieties selling for as much as €250 per bulb.

We are lucky, here in Cork, as one of the country’s finest snowdrop collections is to be found in Glounthaune in the home of well-known gardener, Hester Forde.

Her garden, ‘Cosheen’, will be open for groups by appointment later in the year, but keep an eye out for details of an open weekend during the snowdrop season. Check out Hesterfordegarden.com for more details.

For those fostering an even greater interest in Galanthus, on Feb 1, (near Altamount), in Carlow, there will be a Snowdrop gala from 9am, which will include expert lectures, lunch, a guided tour of the gardens at Altamount, and, of course, a bulb sale.

Another of my favourites for this month, which will help to lift the spirits if you are feeling a bit down after the Christmas season and suffering from some January blues, is Hamamelis, or witch hazel. This beauty is a magnificent addition to any garden. Growing to about 3.5 metres in height, and a similar spread, the witch hazel is a deciduous shrub that will produce the most unusual-looking flowers on naked branches over the next number of weeks.

From this week on, Hamamelis Diane’s dark orange/red petals will start to unfurl from swollen buds, and with these flowers will come the sweetest of scents, which will stop you in your tracks when you get a nose full.

I do like this variety, but sometimes the orange and red flowers can be lost in our gardens in the dark January days, so maybe try the fresh and bright yellow form, ‘Pallida’, which shines like a beacon even on the darkest of days. If you want something a bit different, then keep an eye out for ‘Jelena’, a lovely coppery/pale orange colour not readily available, but worth trying to source in Ballykealy Manor. The twigs of Hamamelis are a favourite of water diviners, too and with water charges looming, has there ever been a better time to introduce one to your home?

GET GARDENING THIS YEAR

FOR the beginner, January is a great time to start planning a new garden.

So, if you have been staring at your blank, green canvas for the last number of months, or years, wondering what to do with it, then make this month the start of your new garden.

Speak to people in your local garden centre. They will be only too happy to assist you and to start you on your gardening journey.

Bring photographs with you and have an idea of where the sun rises in relation to your plot and, really, that’s all you need to get started. Don’t be scared by long Latin names and technical terms — just start by putting a plant in the ground and then watch it grow. After that, help is at hand for all eventualities.

So, let me urge you to make 2014 the ‘year of the garden’ in your plot, be it little or large.