January is an ideal time to plan work in the garden for the coming year

LAST month was the warmest December since records began and the wettest month of any recorded. Opinions differ over the cause of climate change but there seems to be no doubt that warmer, wetter winters will become the norm and our recent weather will no longer be seen as exceptional. The result of this has been all too obvious in the news with devastating effects for home owners, businesses and transport links.

The pictures of flooded gardens reminded me of a garden in Bolton Percy that used to open for the Yellow Book. The garden was situated at the edge of the ings into which the Ouse would be allowed to overflow in times of flood. Much of the garden could be flooded for just a few hours or several weeks at a time. The owner quickly learnt to adapt her planting to cope with these unpredictable events and never seemed bothered when the waters rose.

I have also been intrigued by the project around Malton that uses low tech, relatively low cost solutions to reduce flooding. These simple solutions work with nature rather than by throwing money and concrete into a bottomless pit. As King Canute demonstrated to his courtiers we cannot stop the forces of nature, perhaps our politicians should take heed.

Flooding may be something that we eventually learn to manage but wetter winters saturate the soil and this can still lead to many plants dying since their roots will rot in water-logged soils. Gardeners can select plants that are able to cope better with wet soils.

The RHS website has some useful advice about what to choose. Shrubby potentillas are particularly well adapted as are many species of primulas. When the ground is saturated it is also best to avoid walking on borders and lawns as it will further compact the soil which exacerbates the problem. Vegetable borders too are best left to dry out before you work on them, you may be able to speed up the process by covering them in plastic cloches or sheets.

It is in wet winters that the advantage of raised beds is especially apparent since they will drain more freely. Raised beds are useful not just for vegetables but are excellent for alpines and other plants that appreciate good drainage.

Dreary weather also highlights the benefits of a greenhouse. I am always amazed at how many gardens have greenhouses that are not used, especially through the winter. Heated greenhouses are not just for tomatoes, they offer a wealth of growing opportunities for plants that need more warmth, but even an unheated greenhouse can be a gardener’s delight through the winter, mine is home to a myriad of early flowering bulbs and alpines that might otherwise be spoilt in the open garden.

Whilst I grow a number of more unusual plants such as pleione orchids, dwarf narcissi and the beautiful Ranunculus calandriniodes from the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, these are interspersed with more familiar snowdrops, crocuses and dwarf irises. Under glass, the delicate blooms are protected from the ravages of slugs and snails as well as the inclement weather.

I rarely make New Year resolutions as I know I will not keep them, especially if it involves acquiring fewer plants. As a young, inexperienced gardener I generally found any new plants I bought would often be balanced by the number dying, but with experience it is easy to end up with a backlog of plants in pots, some already dead, waiting for a space to become available. Some years ago I decided to stop making impulse buys unless I had a gap available and it has certainly resulted in fewer pots scattered around the garden. My Achilles heel is unfortunately dwarf bulbs and alpines, many of which I grow in pots in the alpine house. For an alpine enthusiast a greenhouse is never big enough.

Looking around the garden many deciduous shrubs are starting to come into leaf but do not be tempted to hard prune shrubs such as roses just yet as we may still have wintery weather to come. I will, however, prune many fruit trees throughout January, initially removing dead, diseased and damaged branches and those branches that are crossing, rubbing or spindly. Most apples require spur pruning which involves removing about two thirds of the new growth to an outward facing bud. This not only controls size but encourages flower buds to develop. The principles of fruit pruning are often seen as complicated but when broken down into different steps are actually quite straight forward.

In recent years rhubarb has become something of a super food and forced rhubarb from the Yorkshire 'rhubarb triangle' is enjoying renewed popularity as a regional speciality.

Rhubarb is an easy vegetable to grow in the garden and will crop over a long period but for really tender, flavoursome sticks that are ready to harvest several weeks before uncovered crowns forcing is the technique to use. If you want to have a go at growing your own, now is the time to cover the rhubarb crowns. Crowns should be covered in a layer of straw before covering with a container. The terracotta forcing pots traditionally used by gardeners look the part but are expensive, an upturned dustbin or plastic composter will do just as well.

The start of the year is an ideal time to plan work in the garden for the coming year, whether it is devising a crop rotation for the vegetable beds, deciding what to move where or which more ambitious projects to undertake. Whatever you do, enjoy your gardening in 2016.