First: the catalogue

Sifting through seed lists, online or in-hand is the vital work of January, says Kitty Scully.

Even the most resilient gardener will spend most of January indoors, be that fussing over house plants or simply browsing through new seed catalogues. If you haven’t received any catalogues in the post, go online or pick up the phone and order your preferred seed suppliers 2014 catalogue now. Imagining your garden in July, bursting with bounty and teaming with vegetables, herbs and edible flowers is the perfect antidote to these long January days.

It can pay to write a list of all the vegetables and varieties you would like to grow, making it as long and fanciful as you dare but then paring down to something more pragmatic lest you spend a fortune on seeds that realistically you don’t have the time, or space to grow. It’s certainly too soon to sow most seeds but it’s essential to place orders early to ensure you avail of the best choices before stock levels run out.