What’s in this issue…
Jobs for this week
Keep The Colours Coming!
Ruth shows you how to brighten midwinter with some cheerful planting
Look After Last Year’s Plants
Plant a pot for lasting winter tints and prepare your hellebores
Sow Your Chilli Seeds Now
Go for an early start to guarantee more heat with Ruth’s helpful guide
Check Your Plant Protection
Give ties and covers the once-over to make sure everything is secure
Great garden ideas
10 Ways To Plan The Dream Garden
Take advantage of January downtime and prep now to make the perfect space
How To Grow Freesias
Anne offers her guide to tip-top vibrance and fragrance in pots and borders
Perennials To Sow And Plant Now
Give these glorious plants a head start, and they’ll reward you with summer colour
Winter Sparkle With Miniature Gems
Time to perk up pots and boost borders with these pretty low-growing jewels!
Gardening wisdom
Peter Seabrook
You only need a few tools to garden well, as Peter explains his go-to gizmos
Bob Flowerdew
Keep it sweet as Bob discusses some key spuds you need to grow this year
Val Bourne
Save our declining hedgehog population, says Val, and make a helpful highway!
Lucy Chamberlain’s Fruit and Veg
Focus on fruit tree pruning, harvest citrus, and plant and force seakale
Ask John Negus
Your questions about orchid flowering, unusual fungi and making more plums
Anne Swithinbank’s Masterclass
Find out how to store the best pumpkins and squash with Anne’s helpful hints
How To Use Tools
Save yourself some time and money by planning your seed sowing in advance
A Gardener’s Miscellany
This week, Graham looks at some fascinating plant facts inspired by boys!
All Our Yesterdays
Housebound hyacinths? Christopher Lloyd on how to release these endearing beauties
Letters To Wendy
Pining for a real tree, impatient snowdrops, frosted berries and a fritter recipe!
Toby Buckland
Inspired by his favourite food, Toby sheds light on forcing extra-early rhubarb
Your Gardening News
Garden Organic urges AG readers to say no to peat
Cover: Echinacea purpurea (pic: Alamy)