This elegant flower is perhaps my favourite of all flowers (especially the oriental lily).  I love them in the house, but also in the garden too.  Not just the fragrant lilies either, I love them all for their beautiful colours, their signature shaped petals and the way they look so elegant and striking in the garden.

Any keen gardeners itching to get jobs done in the garden but finding the recent weather restrictive, can make a start buy ordering their summer flowering bulbs right now. 

These lilies cost £17.50 for 30 bulbs.

This year in particular we are experiencing some very cold snaps, so gardener’s beware!  It is a good idea to protect outside pots and containers with bubble wrap or similar protective layers, and place them all together in a sheltered area of the garden.  Lag outside water taps too to prevent the risk of burst pipes.

Although you wouldn’t expect it, plants can suffer drought conditions in frozen temperatures at this time of year when the soil is frozen.  Therefore it may be necessary to water your plants to ensure the cold water slightly defrosts the soil and allows the plants to gain some water.

Heavy snow will need to be shaken off plants to avoid it becoming heavy and thus increasing the risk of delicate branches and stems being snapped with the weight.  Similarly, avoid walking on frosty and snowy grass to avoid breaking the brittle grass stems.  Although if you have young children, the first sign of snow will make them want to rush out into the garden to build a snowman!

It isn’t all about feeding the birds and protecting from frost though.  Towards the end of January is a perfect time to start sowing vegetables and fruit such as tomatoes, chillies and cauliflowers.  These need to be sown indoors and kept warm (ideally in a heated propagator) before being hardened off in a cold frame outside prior to being sown in the ground.

 (Outside tap jacket)