January with its short, cold days can be gloomy at the best of times and even more so now we are entering another lockdown. Gardens can seem drab and lifeless and yet there are many beautiful plants which will add colour and interest throughout the winter.

One of my favourites is the winter flowering cherry. There are two varieties; Prunus x subhirtella "Autumnalis" with white blossom and "Autumnalis Rosea" which is a delicate shell-pink. They will tolerate most soils as long as they are not waterlogged and any aspect. Growing around 6m tall, with a relatively light canopy and pollution tolerant they are a perfect choice for city gardens.

At a time when most trees are bare, their branches tantalise with a generous sprinkling of tight buds which gradually open to delicate flowers. Initial flurries of blossom appear in late November and will carry on right through to March. They don't produce any fruit but do have good Autumn colours, soft shades of orange-yellow.

Having fallen in love with our first tree, we now have three "Autumnalis Rosea" in our garden and all are currently full of blossom. In Spring I prefer the purity and freshness of white blossom but the pink seems more cheerful at this time of year and stands out well against grey winter skies. 

If you're looking for an enjoyable and educating read this summer then I highly recommend Dave Goulson's The Jungle Garden. Its full of fascinating facts about our native wildlife, many of which we rarely see or probably think about. Although a serious look at the damage gardeners can do without realising, it does so in an entertaining way with lots of suggestions on the small changes we can easily make which will make a difference. There is also lots of advice on building suitable habitats for a whole variety of bugs and creepy crawlies, great projects for children and adults alike. Dave Goulson is the founder of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust and a Professor of Biology. Reading this I an envious of anyone attending his lectures. Did you know that Earwigs are voracious eaters of aphids and can eat as many as three rounds of spraying with insecticides can kill? Maybe a few nibbled Dahlia flowers are worth it for such helpful insects...

One of my visits recently was to a young couple who having finished renovating their house  are keen to sort out the garden. Apparently it was very mature,"full of enormous overgrown" shrubs when they moved in. I say apparently because now its definitely overgrown but with weeds and brambles. A well-meaning friend told them that the only thing they could do was to rip it all out and they did. 

Now of course they want privacy and yes you guessed it a garden that feels established and mature. I wish I had a pound for every time. 

I always get the same crestfallen expression when I explain that the only way to replace those overgrown shrubs is time (often in years) and then shock when they realise just how many plants (and £s)  it will take to refill their garden.

Its always worth taking time to get to know a garden. Maybe those trees and shrubs are there for a reason, providing privacy or shade or maybe fabulous flowers all summer. Try and get advice from someone who knows about gardens and gardening. They can hopefully guide you as to what is worth keeping and what needs to go, but always be aware that even the best gardeners come with their own baggage and likes and dislikes. If they are saying rip it all out, ask them what do you put in its place and how much will it cost. If they cant give you an answer then their advice might be best ignored.

A weed filled lawn can often be rescued by simply mowing regularly and some simple TLC. The weeds will give up and the grass will recover. Maybe not to bowling green standard but good enough for most of us.

Take stock of the garden and make a plan. Don't strip an area bare until you know what you are going to do with it. As my young couple found out, brambles and weeds love an empty bed. You might not like the shrubs you have inherited but they are better living companions whilst you introduce your own choices.

It might also be worth keeping some of your existing planting whilst your new plants develop and grow. You can then thin and remove as needed over time. Not all plants need to be the star of the show to perform a role and keeping some of the existing plants will give your garden an established, mature feel. It takes time for trees to mature and the one you inherited may not be the one you would choose but take a moment.  Do you intend to live their for the 10 years it may take for your new young tree to match the image in your mind?  If yes then go for it. If not do not underestimate what that boring tree might be doing for you and what you might miss when it's gone.

I hate hand-washing clothes and I know that if I have any such items, one busy day I will throw them into the washing machine with my fingers crossed behind my back and predictably disastrous results. Consequently I have learnt not to buy anything which needs such dedicated and delicate care, however gorgeous it might be. What has this got to do with a stress-free garden?
Everything…......
​Even enthusiastic gardeners have certain tasks they enjoy far less than others or positively dislike. Some of my favourite gardens to visit have immaculate lawns and miles of beautifully clipped hedges. But I know that if I was to have these at home I would be creating my very own stress-inducing garden. Resenting every moment spent pushing the lawnmower or clipping the hedges; I would delay and procrastinate and the untidier they got the more they would annoy, irritate and nag at me.

All gardens, however low maintenance, need some care and attention. It’s the external equivalent of housework and similarly there are things you can do to help minimise and sometimes avoid the jobs you don’t like. As well as thinking about whether you like decking or paving, need a sandpit or fire pit, remember to think about what gardening jobs you do and don’t like. It’s probably the most important aspect of creating a garden you can relax in. You may have fallen in love with a Chelsea Show Garden full of perfect box balls and pleached trees but do you have the patience and time to keep them just so and more importantly would you be able to relax if they were not precise and well-manicured.

 ​But I like box balls, you cry. Avoiding the associated work doesn’t mean that you can’t create something similar; many well-behaved shrubs such as Hebe rakaiensis naturally grow into neat domes without the need for you to wield any clippers.
Hate the thought of pruning or even owning secateurs? Then avoid primadonnas which need regular pruning to be at their best. Many shrubs don’t need any regular pruning if you’re happy to let them do their own thing and grow naturally; the worst that can happen may be slightly fewer flowers or an untidier shape.

​Most of us want to do less weeding. Weeds love bare soil, it’s their dream destination so squeeze them out by generously filling your borders and pots with plants you do like or cover bare soil with a mulch such as gravel, slate or bark.

Maybe you love cottage gardens full of flowers, but don’t have time to deadhead or fiddle with all those plant supports?

Then choose shrubs or tough perennials such as hardy Fuchsias and Geraniums which will flower all summer and from one year to the next with minimal care and attention. There are literally hundreds to choose from.

Or maybe you’re new to gardening and getting stressed trying to remember what each plant needs or even what it is? Keep it simple. Choose a few easy-care plants you like and repeat them. You will get a strong look which is also simple to look after.

​What’s your least favourite job in the garden?

Over the last four weeks, my annual enjoyment of daffodils has almost become an obsession. We are experiencing the first spring in our new home and I have being watching with anticipation (and some impatience) to see what, if any, spring bulbs we have inherited. I am delighted that my assumption that it would be the usual and very familiar varieties we see everyday was completely wrong. We have at least seven different varieties around the garden and hence my new obsession in the Narcissus family, as I strive to identify which varieties and cultivars I now proudly own.

At the same time, I am also making notes on which appear to be growing the best or need moving and sticking a pea stick in any clumps which haven't flowered. These ones, I will dig up once the foliage has died, as I suspect they have become over-crowded as the bulbs have multiplied over the years. I will keep and replant the healthiest bulbs 5-7cm apart. All bulbs will benefit from a general feed such as Growmore as they finish flowering and I will add some to the soil when re-planting as well.

Spring bulbs, such as narcissus, are an incredibly easy low-maintenance way of adding colour to your garden with some varieties flowering as early as January and February and others as late as April. You can buy pots of narcissus from your garden centre now, but this is a very expensive way to buy them. It's much cheaper to buy them as bulbs, so make a note on your calendar at the beginning of October to remind yourself.

There are many different varieties in all shades and combinations of yellow and white and even some with orange or peach trumpets. The height and size of flowers also vary so you can choose those which best suit you and your garden. There are excellent specialist nurseries and suppliers on-line offering a much wider choice than you will find  in the big chain garden centres or supermarkets. I would definitely recommend that you drool over the offerings of Chelsea gold winner Avon Bulbs and Croft16 Daffodils who hold the national collection.

How have I got on naming ours? Well, it's slow work but I think two may be 'Biggar Bountiful' and the honey-scented 'Magnificence. We might also have one of the oldest varieties available 'Telemonius Plenus', which also carries the uncomplimentary name 'Guernsey Cabbage' - although to be honest it has more character than looks.  There are so many varieties and the differences can be subtle so I am hoping the experts at the UK Daffodil Society will help me with the rest.

Maybe you have a favourite variety you would like to share?

Won’t you come into my garden? Richard Sheridan used the excuse that he would like his roses to see the young lady in question, maybe not a chat up line that would work today. However there are many reasons other than romance to enter into the world of gardens and gardening.

Horticultural therapy is now a recognised field and profession and uses plants, gardening activities and the garden environment to promote well-being and improve mental and physical health. We may know someone who benefits from such treatments and happily support it's growing (pardon the pun) use across the NHS. But do we think about how it could help us live a healthier, happier life? I have yet to meet many people who include 'must do more weeding' or 'visit more gardens' as part of their list of New Year resolutions.

There are obvious benefits from any hobby which involves exercise and fresh air and maintaining a beautiful garden or productive allotment can provide plenty of both. But there are also measurable health benefits from just looking at a garden, a strong argument for creating a beautiful garden and the perfect excuse for a lazy summer afternoon in the deckchair.

Just a few minutes looking at a view of trees, water or flowers can reduce stress and anxiety and induce relaxation. These are not just self-reported feelings but real, measurable improvements in blood pressure, muscle tension and brain and heart activity. So maybe this year instead of New Year diets and gym passes we should simply decide to make the most of our gardens and if we haven't got one of our own at home prescribe ourselves a visit to a nearby park or garden and simply enjoy the view, increase our daily step count and unwind.......

On the 18th and 19th July, the Jewellery Quarter will be holding its first JQ Festival to celebrate the opening of Golden Square. As part of the Festival there will be an Open Studio Trail, where visitors can visit all sorts of craftmakers, designers, jewellers and architects to see them at work and ask for advice and tips of the trade. I work from home and so opening up to the public was not a practical option but towards the end of May the idea of a pop-up garden was mooted. By early June the Open Studios organiser had  found me a courtyard tucked away behind a black door on Pitsford Street and I was part of the Open Studio Trail.

I was delighted to get the support and sponsorship of two dealers in reclaimed and vintage - Moseley Gifts and Gardens and The Barn at Studley. Both are a treasure trove of items from tin baths, furniture, chimney pots and much more. The ideal source of items to match my theme.
I was really pleased to find these ladders which make a colourful and quirky alternative to trellis reflecting the industrial setting of the garden, the primary colours provide a cheerful contrast against a white painted wall. 
Having only containers and pots for your plants can seem restrictive and yes some plants sulk in pots and they all need more love and attention as they relay on you for food and water. But you can have lots of fun using whatever you can find from old tin cans to boots and unlike the garden-bound gardener you can create the ideal conditions for the plants you like in their very own pot, sitting drought lovers and water-babies side by side.

The JQ is full of beautiful buildings being renovated and repurposed creating a vibrant, eclectic eco-chic community and it's time to do the the same with our outside spaces too. It's been a mad few days getting ready but we have finally finished setting up and I can relax at least for a little while. The moment of truth will be seeing the reaction of visitors tomorrow to our newly-loved outside space...

The JQ is full of tiny courtyards, roof spaces and balconies; most of which are unused and unloved and many residents are renting and so unable or reluctant to invest in longer-term roots : ) With little money to play with, the idea of recycling, up-cycling and reclaiming objects to create a garden seemed like the perfect solution and so 'The Room Outside'  began to develop as an idea. Hopefully showing how we can all make the most of these secret spaces and create our own personalised urban oasis. Old furniture and household items are re-purposed and filled with living colour and everything in the pop-up garden can be taken away when the owner moves on.