Famend gardener Monty Don has named the one job he at all times does in January whatever the climate – pruning – and shared his philosophy on backyard failures
Monty Don says there may be one job he at all times does in January (Picture: Colin McPherson, Corbis through Getty Photos)
Celebrated gardener Monty Don has revealed the only activity he undertakes each January with out fail, while sharing his perspective on the character of failure in gardening.
The 70-year-old has been educating British gardeners for many years by way of numerous platforms, together with Gardeners’ World. Writing in his journal column, he mentioned why he considers January the best month for pruning, although acknowledged he wasn’t truly doing it while penning his Gardener’s World Journal piece, as that was written in December.
Learn extra: Monty Don ‘at all times’ vegetation sure seeds ‘first’ in January – however has 5pm rule
Monty presents Gardeners’ World (Picture: Getty Photos)
He wrote: “I’m penning this within the days earlier than Christmas…the idea of recording or writing one thing weeks and even months forward of transmission is turning into distant.
“In my fastened gardening calendar, the pruning of vines is a January job. At all times has been. Good for a pleasant frosty day within the new 12 months outdoors, or a moist one inside. So I discovered myself not doing it, as a result of January was nonetheless every week or so away.”
Past advising gardeners that January presents a wonderful alternative for pruning, he provided reassurance that tackling it barely early is not catastrophic
Referencing knowledge from Christopher Lloyd, he continued: “The very best time to prune virtually something is while you keep in mind to take action and have a pair of secateurs in your hand. The worst that may occur is that you could be reduce off flower buds and, heaven forfend, delay flowering by a number of weeks.”
Monty does his pruning in January (Picture: BBC)
Monty additionally provided a philosophical perspective on failure in gardening. He steered that it “means you need to assume for your self and problem all of the issues you might have diligently discovered from others. And that’s when issues get fascinating”.
He additionally mentioned the shifting climate patterns and their impression on gardening schedules in his column. Local weather change, international warming, and their results on gardens are topics Monty has explored lately.
In the identical publication final 12 months, he lamented the dry situations of 2025 and their impact on his cherished Longmeadow backyard.
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He said: “This 12 months, 2025, is by far the driest I’ve recognized. Now we have had no vital rain since March, and our heavy Hertfordshire clay loam is powdery all the way down to 3ft.
“That is undeniably a pattern. On the time of writing…this final spring was the most well liked and driest on document. There isn’t any sane denial of local weather change.”
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