January - things to do

It's January and it's cold. The ground outside is frozen solid as are the neglected buckets filled with rainwater and the pots of dead plants with wrinkled yellowing chillies dangling in the wind. Many parts of the garden haven't seen the sun for months so pockets of ice and snow are hanging on in the shade.

Today was a relatively warm one (in a winter which is the coldest we've seen for thirty years apparently) so we went outside. Tucked away behind the garden hose, I found an old plant pot with green shoots poking through - I planted these bulbs a while ago and they've now multiplied. I look forward to spring when I'll know what they are.

I also collected some compost for indoor use , after hacking it out of the bag as it had frozen into little lime - sized lumps, as I look to complete the first task of the year as per my schedule. Hurrah! I have been desperately researching all the vegetables that I can start sowing now as I really want to get started. It's a great way to take my mind off the stresses of the world, thinking about rows and rows of little seedlings at the start of their journey on the way to my stomach.

Task for January: sow two seeds of red cabbage. I'll be doing so in peat pots within a propagator and keeping it in the spare room. I'm sowing two and will plant one outside once it's big enough. This is my first attempt at succession crops as I'll be sowing more in future months. That's it for January. Nothing else to do.

New year, new resolutions

It's only just the start of 2009, and we're already turning our attention to the gardening calendar ahead. So far I've ordered the seeds, drawn up the plans, measured the beds and carried out an audit of the pots so I know what we've got.

A fourth bed has been dug already - to allow us to have a bed dedicated to potatoes. Last year we tried planting carrots and nips in the same bed (a mistake as they were swamped) and had little success in growing anything after lifting the tats.

So that's four veggie beds (the domain of Mr - I don't get involved!) plus all the pots and the side bed (which is my domain and used for slightly more exciting varieties).

I'm also turning my attention to the rest of the garden to see if we can get the flowers up and running for some colour - perennials mainly as I wont have to worry about raising plants year after year.

So, for my sections of the garden, I plan to grow:

• Alpine strawberries in hanging baskets (smaller and much sweeter than normal strawbs plus easier to grow)
• Borlotti climbing beans (grew pretty well last year although not enough sun I think).
• Broad beans in pots (a new venture but should be easy)
• Butternut squash (slug attacked when plant was young - I think I put it in the wrong place too)
• Calabrese (broccoli to you and me)
• Patty pan squash (I love the shape of these, like UFOs)
• Peppers - Razzamatas and Romano (grow really well every year although not managed to get peppers big enough or any colour but green)
• Pumpkin - Baby bear (grew last year although crossed with a courgette!)
• Red cabbage
• Tomatoes from hanging baskets - I'm trying a heritage variety "Green sausage" for a bit of fun
• Thyme
• Courgettes - Soleil (yellow)

We had three trees chopped down last year which should mean better crops as more sunlight gets through. My fingers are crossed especially as this is our third year of growing so we're much more knowledgeable than before. For once I'm being pretty organised and I have drawn up a monthly plan for each of the crops listed above so I know what I need to do and when. The only thing is that July - December 2009 is without activity so I'm going to be researching the winter and spring crops that would be planted then. I planted some garlic out last November which should be ready this year, so if it works I'll try it again.