A snowy January day.
The Garden Website for January
Yuletide camellia, Camellia sasanqua.
In This Issue
Cotoneaster berries.
Fellow Gardeners - January Flower Arrangement - January Garden Stars
Winter Pruning - Pruning Tools - What Not to Prune - What to Prune
The Benefits of Thinning - Don' take Too Much Off- Trees too Big? - Pruning Fruit Trees - Pruning Apple Trees
Pruning Grapes - Pruning Wisterias - Pruning Gooseberries & Raspberries
Kill Overwintering Pests & Diseases - After a Storm - Cold Fronts Down South - Icy Paths & Driveways
Take Cuttings - Check Stored Plants - Plan Veggie Beds - Houseplants in Winter
Hummingbirds & Birds in Winter - Critters in the Garden
Plant of the Month: Blue Star Juniper
Winter Pruning - Pruning Tools - What Not to Prune - What to Prune
The Benefits of Thinning - Don' take Too Much Off- Trees too Big? - Pruning Fruit Trees - Pruning Apple Trees
Pruning Grapes - Pruning Wisterias - Pruning Gooseberries & Raspberries
Kill Overwintering Pests & Diseases - After a Storm - Cold Fronts Down South - Icy Paths & Driveways
Take Cuttings - Check Stored Plants - Plan Veggie Beds - Houseplants in Winter
Hummingbirds & Birds in Winter - Critters in the Garden
Plant of the Month: Blue Star Juniper
Fellow Gardeners...
A January scene of a Garry oaks, Quercus garryana, Victoria, B.C.
Happy New Year Fellow Gardeners!
It’s January; the least exciting gardening month of the year when the days are short and chilly. Sipping hot cocoa in front of the fire is certainly more enticing than a visit to my garden, especially with an immovable, Velcro kitty sprawled across my lap. However, once I’m out there, I do enjoy the stillness and serenity of the garden while it’s resting. Although the garden is taking a break, gardeners should not. Since plants are dormant, now is a good time to get out the pruning gear and do some pruning. Last year several of our trees put on an immense amount of growth so much so they shaded and interfered with surrounding plants. I’ve waited for winter to do some judicious pruning to tame the beasts. The offending branches must be cut back, or maybe even removed. I prefer to start with cutting them back to a side branch first, then I’ll assess and go from there. It's also time, when the conditions are favourable, to kill overwintering insects and diseases with a mixture of dormant oil and lime sulfur. I spray it on all our deciduous trees, shrubs and vines that are prone to ailments. My one and only apple tree and a few of my black spot prone roses are a priority. Another priority is planning the veggie garden. With the prices of food going up and up, we need a good growing season as the more we harvest the less we have to buy. There’s nothing better than homegrown, freshly picked, organically grown goodies from your garden or balcony. Wishing you a good gardening year and a joyous, wonderful New Year. Here’s to 2026, may it be kind to us all. Happy gardening! Best always, Amanda Need a Garden Consultation?
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January's Arrangement
January 2025
January's arrangement includes, rosehips, skimmia, douglas fir and heavenly bamboo. For a numbered guide to the specific flower names and for other arrangements go to Monthly Flower Arrangements.
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Wishing you the very best for the New Year!
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January's Plant of the month
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January Garden Stars
Yuletide winter camellia, C. sasanqua, broadleaf evergreen shrub, fragrant winter flowers, sun to part shade, 6’-14’ x 5’-7’. Zones 7 to 9. Click on pic for more.
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Picea glauca ‘Conica’, dwarf Alberta spruce, evergreen conifer, 10’-13’ x 7’-10’, sun. Zones 3 to 6. Click on the pic for more.
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Charity Mahonia, M. x media 'Charity', broadleaf evergreen shrub, 10’ to 15’, winter flowers, black berries, sun to part shade. Zones 7 to 9. Click on pic for more.
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Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola', Japanese forest grass, herbaceous perennial, 1’-1.5’, flowers July to Aug, part shade. Zones 5 to 9. Click on pic for more
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Ilex aquifolium 'Argentea Marginata', variegated English holly, broadleaf evergreen, part to full sun, 15’ – 20’ x 8’ to 12’, females bear berries. Zones 6 to 9.
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Dawn viburnum, V. x bodnantense 'Dawn', deciduous shrub, 8 to 10ft x 4 to 6ft, full sun, part shade. Zones 5 to 7. Click on the pic for more.
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Chinese witch hazel, Hamamelis mollis, 10 - 15ft tall & wide, fragrant blooms Jan to March, sun to part shade. Zones 5 to 8. Click on the pic for more info.
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Japanese spotted, laurel, Aucuba japonica, broadleaf evergreen shrub, 6-10’ x 5-9’, shade. Zones USDA Zones 6 to 9. Click on pic for more.
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David viburnum, Viburnum davidii, broadleaf evergreen, 2-3’ x 3-4’, white blooms April, May, sun, part shade, blue/black berries. Zones 7 to 9. Click on pic for more.
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Ulmus glabra ‘Camperdownii’, Camperdown Elm, deciduous top grafted weeping tree, 15’-25’ x 20’-30’, sun. Zones 4 to 6.
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Winter heath, Erica carnea, 1' x 2', blooms from Dec to April, sun to light shade, broadleaf evergreen, ground cover, Zones 5 to 8. Click on the pic for more.
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Paperbark maple, Acer griseum, deciduous tree, zones 4-8, 20 to 30' x 15 to 25', sun to part shade. Click on the pic for more.
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Himalayan sweetbox, Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis, broadleaf evergreen, 2-5' x 2-6', shade, fragrant. Zones 6 to 8. Click on the pic for more.
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Himalayan white birch, Betula utilis var. jacquemontii, deciduous tree, 30-40ft x 18-20ft. Zones 4 -7.
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Cornus sericea, Red twigged dogwood, deciduous shrub, 6 -9' x 7-10' wide, sun to part shade, white flowers & berries. Zones 3-7.
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Heavenly bamboo, Nandina domestica, broadleaf evergreen, white June flowers, orange berries, sun to shade, 3-8’ x 2-4’. Zones 8 to 10. Click on pic for more.
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Winter jasmine, Jasminum nudiflorum, deciduous vine, 10 to 15ft, sun to shade, winter flowers. Zones 6 to 10.
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Beautyberry, Callicarpa bodinieri, deciduous shrub, 3 to 9 ft.sun to part shade, North American native. Zones 8 to 10. Click on the pic for more.
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Strawberry tree, Arbutus unedo 'Compacta', broadleaf evergreen, 10’-20’ tall & wide, winter flowers & fruit. Zones 7 to 9. Click on the pic for more.
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Late cotoneaster, Cotoneaster lacteus, broadleaf evergreen shrub, 6-12’ x 4-10’, sun, part shade, white spring flowers. Zones 6 to 8
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Japanese skimmia, S. japonica, broadleaf evergreen, 3-4' x 4-5'. Fragrant flowers winter to spring. Red berries on female plants. Part to full shade. Zones 6 to 8. Click on pic for more.
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January Garden Chores
A foggy & green January day in the garden.
Tour the Garden: The garden takes a back seat in winter; however, it’s a good idea to check on it occasionally. Plants need help if they have collapsed under the weight of heavy snow and ice, or have been broken by strong winds.
Don't prune lily-of-the-valley shrub, Pieris japonica, do so after flowering in spring.
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Pruning flowering currants now will remove all their flowers.
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Rose-of-sharon, Hibiscus syriacus, benefit from being pruned now.
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Cut back and thin Japanese spirea.
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If conifers need trimming, do so in winter.
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Winter Pruning of Shrubs, Trees & Fruits: Now that plants are dormant, it’s time to rectify some issues and to promote new growth with some judicious pruning. Plants recover quickly as cutting them back now promotes vigorous spring growth.
What Not To Prune: Avoid pruning spring flowering plants as they have already set their buds for the season ex: lilac, deutzia, mock orange, witch hazel, lily-of-the valley shrub, viburnum, azaleas, camellias. Prune them right after they finish flowering in spring.
What to Prune: Now and through winter is a good time to prune summer and fall flowering plants such as rose-of-sharon, glossy abelia, Japanese spirea, butterfly bush and dogwoods. Other suitable plants include maples, oaks, junipers, pines and other conifers.
What Not To Prune: Avoid pruning spring flowering plants as they have already set their buds for the season ex: lilac, deutzia, mock orange, witch hazel, lily-of-the valley shrub, viburnum, azaleas, camellias. Prune them right after they finish flowering in spring.
What to Prune: Now and through winter is a good time to prune summer and fall flowering plants such as rose-of-sharon, glossy abelia, Japanese spirea, butterfly bush and dogwoods. Other suitable plants include maples, oaks, junipers, pines and other conifers.
This shrub that is too dense & wide.
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Once pruned, the shrub is less twiggy and errant branches have been removed.
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The Benefits of Thinning: There’s no need to give plants are haircut if they are still looking good. Leave them be. On the other hand, trees and shrubs benefit from being thinned. Remove anything that is dead, diseased, broken, suckers, watersprouts, spindly stems, overly long ones, branches that grow towards the centre of the plant, and stems that rub each other. Although it is a common practice to only cut the top off shrubs, they do benefit from being thinned so they don’t get too twiggy and dense.
A Japanese snowbell tree has branches growing towards the tree's centre.
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After the offending branches have been removed.
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Suckers have replaced the branches of this poor topped tree.
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Remove suckers from the base of trees.
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Don’t Take Too Much Off: Only remove ¼ of overall growth, no more as it sets plants back, and it might even kill them. Be mindful of what you remove. Avoid cutting back or removing a tree’s main branches as they are the scaffolding and ‘bones’ of the tree. The resulting new growth of topped trees, if it lives, are suckers and are not true tree branches. Suckers originate from the underneath the bark, not from the core of the tree. They grow straight and upright and don’t form branches.
Roots extend far beyond a tree's dripline so they don't fall down.
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An eroded path reveals a small portion of massive root system.
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City trees often fail as they are surrounded by concrete.
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'Topping' trees makes plant unsafe. Don't do it!
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Tall Trees: It is a common misconception that tall trees are prone to falling down. It’s a legitimate concern if the tree is sickly or if it’s surrounded by concrete, tarmac and anywhere there is little soil to accommodate tree roots. Municipalities often plant trees between the road and a sidewalk, that’s why they tend to fail. On the other hand, there’s more to trees that meets the eye. They have massive root systems that stretch beyond their canopies. Nature is smart, so the taller the tree the bigger the root system. This is why it is important to plant trees correctly so their roots can grow to their full potential. For more information click on Planting Correctly.
If you have a tree that freaks you out because it’s so tall, don’t cut all the branches back. There are numerous reasons why. It’s impossible to keep a big tree small unless there are trained as a topiary or a bonsai. Like all plants, they are genetically predisposed to grow to a certain height and width. Cutting all the branches back or off doesn’t keep the tree small; it has the opposite effect. Weak suckers replace the lost branches. Pruning trees also affects their roots die back in tandem to the amount of branches that are removed. Here's more on pruning: Pruning Basics 101 - Winter Pruning
If you have a tree that freaks you out because it’s so tall, don’t cut all the branches back. There are numerous reasons why. It’s impossible to keep a big tree small unless there are trained as a topiary or a bonsai. Like all plants, they are genetically predisposed to grow to a certain height and width. Cutting all the branches back or off doesn’t keep the tree small; it has the opposite effect. Weak suckers replace the lost branches. Pruning trees also affects their roots die back in tandem to the amount of branches that are removed. Here's more on pruning: Pruning Basics 101 - Winter Pruning
Don't leave stubs! Cut branches off at their base or above a side branch.
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A pole pruner saws off a high branch.
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A pruning saw easily cuts through thick stems.
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After cleaning & sharpening tools, spray them with vegetable oil.
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Pruning Tools: Invest in good quality pruning tools that are clean and sharp to make the job safer, easier and faster. Instead of struggling to cut through a branch use the right tool for the job. Hand pruners are suitable for small stems up to ½ inch diameter. For larger stems up to 2” in diameter, use loppers. Their long handles provide more leverage and a longer reach. Use a pruning saw, reciprocal or chainsaw for larger branches. Clean tools after each plant by wiping their blades with disinfecting wipe, or place a solution of isopropyl alcohol or Lysol with equal parts water in a spray bottle. Avoid bleach as it’s corrosive. Dry tools before spraying with a vegetable oil. For more on the different types of pruning equipment and how to maintain them, click on Pruning Tools and click here for a quickie tool cleaning video.
Pruning Fruit Trees
Keep fruiting spurs on apples and pears.
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Cut back the side shoots of apple trees to create more fruit.
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Cut apple stems just above a spur.
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Remove the crossing & red stem, but leave the spurs.
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It's essential to prune fruit trees during the winter to not only keep their growth in check but also to promote more fruit and a healthy plant. The objective is to keep the centre of fruit trees open so all branches radiate from the trunk and don’t grow towards its centre. Shorten main branches by ¼ above an outward facing bud. Remove branches that grow downwards and perfectly upright. Remove all dead, diseased and weak stems including suckers and watersprouts. To promote more flowers/fruit on apples and pears, cut back side branches 2 to 4 buds (nodes). They should convert to fruiting spurs in a couple of years. Follow up by spraying all fruit trees with dormant oil and lime sulfur to kill overwintering insects & diseases.
Pruning Grapes
Prune grape vines in winter and in the summer.
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Remove all minor side shoots.
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Prune & train grapevines two years after planting.
The same grapevine after remedial pruning & training.
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Prune grapes in winter to maximize fruit production and to tame unruly plants. If left to their own devices, vines become a tangled mess without much fruit. Train vines along a support such as galvanized wire stretch along a fence. Prune off all the lower branches so only one main upright stem remains. From that main trunk, select two stems on opposing sides of the trunk. Tie each of the side branches along a fence, wire or other form of a lateral, horizontal support. After pruning, spray with dormant oil/lime sulfur to reduce overwintering insects and diseases. For more on pruning grapes click here.
Pruning Wisterias
Prune wisterias to create more flowers and to control their growth.
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A wisteria before being pruned.
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The same wisteria after pruning.
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Cut all side shoots to a few buds.
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Wisterias need pruning in winter. When left to their own devices, wisterias grow out of control. Prune them now to contain their growth and to promote more of their beautiful blossoms. Remove old, unproductive and dead stems and those in the way of windows, doorways and gates. Shorten all side stems to 2 to 4 buds (nodes) to encourage more flowers to form.
Prune gooseberries while they are dormant.
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Cut back gooseberry stems back to three buds.
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Cut off all raspberry canes that have born fruit last year.
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Gooseberries: Remove all dead, weak and spindly stems then cut back all sideshoots back to three buds (nodes).
Raspberries: Cut off all stems that have produced fruit last year to the ground. Train them horizontally on supports by bending their canes and securing them to a wire trellis or a fence.
Raspberries: Cut off all stems that have produced fruit last year to the ground. Train them horizontally on supports by bending their canes and securing them to a wire trellis or a fence.
Need Pruning Help?
Hire a certified ISA arborist.
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Hire professionals for big and tall jobs.
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Learn how to prune your own garden with Amanda's instruction.
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Hiring Someone to Prune: We’ve all seen trees that have been mutilated by someone wielding a chainsaw. Trees don’t recover so make sure to hire a qualified ISA International Society of Arborists, arborist. Ask for references and inspect their work from previous jobs. and ensure they are in good standing with WorkSafe BC, and that all employees are covered under workers’ compensation laws. Avoid hiring someone that goes door to door.
Learn How to Prune in Your Garden: For more information and to register click Pruning Help.
Learn How to Prune in Your Garden: For more information and to register click Pruning Help.
Kill Overwintering Pests & Diseases
Control scale insects.
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Control tent caterpillars.
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Control black spot on roses.
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Use only on deciduous plants.
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Dormant oil and lime sulfur kit.
Use dormant oil & lime sulfur to kill overwintering insects and diseases. Spray fruit trees, grape vines, roses, deciduous trees and shrubs with a mixture of dormant oil and lime sulfur to control overwintering insects and diseases. Available where garden products are sold, this organic treatment kit treats scale insect, spider mites, caterpillars, peach leaf curl, rust, brown rot and downy mildew and black spot on roses. To learn more, click on Dormant Oil/Lime Sulfur.
After a Storm
A tree succumbs to high winds.
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Avoid touching ice covered plants.
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Knock off heavy snow that weigh down branches.
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Salt damage is evident on this hedge.
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There are many alternatives to salt to melt ice.
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Keep storm drains free of snow & debris.
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Put on your winter woolies and check the garden after a storm has passed. Stay well away from downed power lines and call your power company asap. Rescue squashed, sagging and crushed plants from heavy snow with a hockey stick or broom. Cut off any broken branches that you can reach easily. For those you can’t, call a certified ISA arborist to get the job done right and safely.
Avoid Slipping: Clear soggy leaves, moss and algae from paths, patios, decks and stairs. To melt ice on paths, sidewalks and driveways avoid using salt as it’s toxic to pets, plants and the soil. It also contaminates waterways and is harmful to sea life. Alternatives include commercial non-salt, sawdust, pet friendly de-icers or use sand, kitty litter or coffee grounds.
Avoid Slipping: Clear soggy leaves, moss and algae from paths, patios, decks and stairs. To melt ice on paths, sidewalks and driveways avoid using salt as it’s toxic to pets, plants and the soil. It also contaminates waterways and is harmful to sea life. Alternatives include commercial non-salt, sawdust, pet friendly de-icers or use sand, kitty litter or coffee grounds.
Cold Fronts Down South
Bring orchids inside at 40°F (4 °C). Rossioglossum grande, tiger orchid pictured.
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Wrap orchids perched on trees.
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Bring potted citrus trees inside when frost is predicted.
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Protect tender tropicals like this oleander.
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It’s always tough on plants when Old Man Winter decides to take a tropical vacation. Be attentive to nighttime lows, especially on cloudless evenings. Bring orchids inside at 40°F (4 °C). If you can’t bring them into a frost free location, wrap them with cloth, frost blankets or other breathable fabric. Protect other tender plants the same way with fabric, or cover with soil, mulch, leaves, palm fronds. Plastic is not a good insulator and causes plants to rot. Protect potted citrus trees and other vulnerable frost-tender plants by bringing them inside or place incandescent 60 to 100-watt light bulb within their canopy. For more on growing moth orchids indoors click on Moth Orchids.
Take Cuttings
Take cuttings from roses.
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Recut cuttings just below a node (bud).
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Insert cuttings in potting soil or in the ground.
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Hardwood cuttings take 2 -4 months to form roots.
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Make hardwood cuttings from your favourite trees, shrubs and vines. Take 6”-8” cuttings from the current year’s stems. Remove their lower leaves and pinch off the tip. Re-cut the stem directly under a bud (node) just before Inserting the cut end into well-drained soil, or in a pot filled with moist potting soil and keep outdoors in a protected area. The cuttings should be rooted by autumn. To learn more about the different types of cuttings click here.
A 3 year old Nadia Ruth dahlia.
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Mist or soak dried out dahlia tubers.
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Go online or send for seed & plant catalogues.
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Check on Stored Plants: Inspect overwintering dahlias, cannas, callas, caladiums and tuberous begonias. Discard any rotten ones and generously mist those that are shrivelled and dry.
Order Seeds & Plants: To get a jump on the gardening year and to brighten those dull winter days send away for plant and seed catalogues. To avoid disappointment, order plants early. Click on Plant Catalogues for the list.
Order Seeds & Plants: To get a jump on the gardening year and to brighten those dull winter days send away for plant and seed catalogues. To avoid disappointment, order plants early. Click on Plant Catalogues for the list.
Plan this year's veggie garden.
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Cover rhubarb for tender stems.
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Remove blemished foliage and flowers from hellebores.
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Plan Your Veggie Beds: Rotate veggies so they grow in different beds to previous years. Crop rotation is an effective way to reduce diseases, insects and nutrient deficiencies. For more on veggie gardening click on Growing Food - Crop Rotation, Succession & Companion Planting
Rhubarb: Cover rhubarb plants with a bucket to force an early crop of tender long stems.
Hellebores: Cut off and discard blemished hellebores (Helleborus) foliage to limit the spread of Hellebore leaf spot disease.
Rhubarb: Cover rhubarb plants with a bucket to force an early crop of tender long stems.
Hellebores: Cut off and discard blemished hellebores (Helleborus) foliage to limit the spread of Hellebore leaf spot disease.
Indoor Houseplants & Tropical Plants in Winter
Feel the soil before adding more water to prevent overwatering.
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Spider mites infest plants that are kept too dry.
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Additional lighting helps indoor plants become more robust.
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Reduce water & light to overwinter angel trumpets (Brugmansia).
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Check on your houseplants and overwintering geraniums. If they are weak and pitiful, they probably need more light. Put them under grow lights attached to a timer for 12 hours a day. Feel the soil before adding more water as overwatering is a common killer. Alternately, too little water encourages spider mites. Allow the water to sit for 24 hours and avoid cold water. Check for mealy bugs and other insects on the undersides of the leaves and on stems. To learn more about growing healthy tropicals and other houseplants, click on Houseplants in Winter.
Critters & Birds
Rabbits prefer tender new growth.
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Deers have eaten the bottom half of the cedar hedge.
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Racoons scrounge for any food during the winter.
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Critters in the Garden: Winter is a tough time for animals as there isn’t enough food, thus is why they venture into people’s gardens and nibble away. There’s numerous methods to deter them from dining and dashing. To learn more, click on Critters in the Garden.
Birdies need suet in the winter.
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Check birdfeeders often as seeds quickly rot with snow & rain.
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Overwintering hummingbirds need nectar to survive.
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A thick sock keeps hummingbird nectar a tad warmer.
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Birds: Invite birds into your garden with a steady supply of seed and suet. They rely on the kindness of homeowners to make it through the winter as food is scarce. Inspect feeders often and discard mouldy seeds Discard and disinfect feeders before filling them with fresh seeds. Birds also need water when everything is frozen. To prevent the water from freezing, add a tennis ball. Place a few tennis balls in the garden after it snows so birds have a place to rest.
Hummingbirds: Anna’s hummingbirds don’t migrate to warmer climes; they stick around for winter in the Pacific Northwest. There’s few if any flowers this time of year, but these little guys need nectar to survive. Hang nectar filled feeders to provide them with a steady supply. For a few tips and tricks to keep the nectar from freezing, click here.
Hummingbirds: Anna’s hummingbirds don’t migrate to warmer climes; they stick around for winter in the Pacific Northwest. There’s few if any flowers this time of year, but these little guys need nectar to survive. Hang nectar filled feeders to provide them with a steady supply. For a few tips and tricks to keep the nectar from freezing, click here.
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THE GARDEN WEBSITE INDEX
Click on the links below to be redirected.
for the tropical Gardener
While working in Florida as horticultural consultant, it became apparent that there was a need for a book on tropical shrubs. There are so many wonderful shrubs to choose from, so I wrote a reference book to make the selections easier. Ornamental Tropical Shrubs includes pictures in full colour and information about the plants in point form. So if you live in the tropics and subtropics and need a reference book on tropical shrubs, or you just want to have a look-see click here.
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