January - Observe and Think

This is the month to take a big step back from all our busy ways in the garden. This is the garden at it's quietest and it's the best time to get our your notebook and consider the structure of your woody plants in particular. I've been thinking about ‘Transparent pruning’ - a French technique masterminded by Dominique Cousin at Les Jardin des Vasterival in Normandy. This approach is about pruning trees and shrubs mindfully by thinning out branches carefully. This allows for improvements in the beneficial passage of light and air, whilst also giving them shape and natural elegance. Instead of foliage covering the lower branches, think about whether you can crown-lift or create 'legs'. This, too, adds more light, and importantly creates space underneath where other plants can grow. Just don't reach for your loppers too quickly! Remember that pruning needs to be carried out at the right time for specific trees and shrubs. That may mean taking photos and making notes now before coming back to make some changes later in the year.