January - The Midwinter Hiatus
“Thirty days has September, April, June and November.
Unless a leap year is its fate, February has twenty eight
but all the rest have three days more, excepting January,
which has six thousand,one hundred and eighty four.”
- Aide-memoire by Brian Bilston
I can completely relate to Brian’s sentiments. The quieter, short days of winter often drag and January can seem very long. Outdoors the natural world has surrendered to the cold and dark and life has retreated to the relative warmth underground. In the UK the east wind brings weather straight from the cold Russian Steppes. It can mean steely grey skies and cold rain but if we’re lucky there are also clear, bright January days in with exhilarating frost and watery sunshine.
In her book ‘The Wheel’ Jennifer Lane proposes there are two sorts of people in the world, the summer lovers and the winter lovers. I definitely fall into the former category those that are ‘…. only happy with the sun on their bare shoulders, wild flowers tickling their ankles and the buzz of young birds hovering just above their heads.’
Don't get me wrong I love the whole thick sweaters, cold air, lighting a fire, hunkering down, candlelight and the cocooning of winter. But once the sparkly lights of Christmas are packed away the cabin fever sets in , I begin to feel claustrophobic and need to shed the layers!
Winter seems to go on for so long in the UK and it feels like a long stretch to spring!
Introducing January Joy
In January we have to look harder for the uplifting glimmers. The things that bring joy and optimism. Looking past the bad weather days and the mud and ignoring the constant media pressure to get fit, and ‘be your best self’ and the never ending adverts for warm holiday destinations!
Here are my top ten tips for introducing seasonal joy into January
1. Add winter interest to your garden or outdoors space
I’m a strong believer that a properly designed garden can be beautiful in winter too. There are many winter interest plants you can incorporate.
Vivid berries, evergreen foliage, swaying grasses, interesting bark, colourful stems and striking forms can be combined to create high impact, low maintenance planting schemes, that lift the spirits on even the darkest of days. I like to include plants with winter nectar for the bees too, for example crocus, hellebores, heather and snowdrops.
If I was to suggest one plant for winter interest, I’d opt for Sarcococca, Winter Flowering Box. It’s definitely in my botanic tool box when I design planting schemes for clients.
Sarcococca is an evergreen shrub with glossy green leaves and a neat winter form. It’s unfussy, coping with shade and chalky soils and responds well to pruning! But its biggest selling point is the white spidery flowers that open under the leaves in December and January. These flowers release a mighty punch of perfume. The sort of scent that carries on cold January air and has you searching around to find the source!
Trim a sprig of Sarcococca and bring it inside to beautifully perfume your room.
For more ideas what to grow in your garden for winter interest, see “The January Quiet’ in my nature journal.
2. Go For A Winter Walk
I recommend getting outside each day, observing what nature is doing . Wrap up warm, embrace the weather, align your circadian rhythms and then enjoy come home to the warmth of your home and a hot drink.
3. Plant a Winter Container
Even the smallest of outdoor spaces will benefit from a beautiful winter display. Ensure your chosen container is winter fit. Fibreglass, wooden, recycled plastic and treated terracotta and clay are all good choices for winter pots (clay or terracotta pots are prone to cracking in frost so avoid them or look for frost-proof options). Raising pots up by standing them on pot feet, allows water to drain away and helps to reduce the risk of frost damage too.
For winter flowers, snowdrops are perfect for growing in winter pots and pair well with hellebores. I like winter-flowering pansies with their smiley and colourful 'faces' that keep flowering until June and early flowering Iris reticulata. Also consider hardy cyclamen (Cyclamen hederifolium and Cyclamen coum) for a pop of magenta flowers.
Once these plants have finished flowering they’re perfect for transplanting in your garden, at the base of trees and shrubs.
Small, neat grasses look great in winter containers, adding movement and interest. Try Anemanthemele lessoniana, Carex oshimensis 'Evergold', Stipa tenuissima, Festuca glauca
Grasses look striking planted with the coloured stems of Cornus, dogwoods.
Then there are the pots of spring flowering bulbs that you can transplant into your winter container. Seeing the early shoots of daffodils, tulips and crocus popping up, is very hopeful.
Place your winter container where you’re going to see it, by your front door, next to a pathway, or in your eye line from the kitchen sink or the sofa.
4. Decorate the House with Seasonal Nature
Decorate your home with winter foliage.
Taking seasonal snippings from the garden or out in the wild to bring indoors, helps cheer up January.
They’re a reminder that spring is just around the corner. Plus, you get the chance to look closely at your finds, noticing the details and the nuances.
You can search for early catkins, snowdrops, larch cones, a bare branch with a few berries on it or foliage to display in a jug on the kitchen table. A scented branch of Daphne or Witchhazel is also wonderful but my favourite winter plant to bring inside for scent in January is Sarcococca – see above.
5. Look Up
Dark winter skies offer plenty of star and moongazing opportunities. The first moon of the year is the Wolf Moon and it’s full on the 6th of January.
Wolf Moon, Illustration by artist, Jenny Muncaster.
The Anglo Saxons called this time of year Wolf Month because the wolves came out of the woods and down into their villages, presumable on the hunt for food.
The Wolf Moon is followed by the new Snow Moon on 21st Jan.
6. Visit Winter Gardens
Many gardens stay open over the winter months, offering the perfect opportunity for great winter walks. You’ll find loads of inspiration you can translate to your own plot.
I recommend Sir Harold Hillier Gardens and Mottisfont if you’re near Hampshire.
I’d love to hear your recommendations for winter gardens to visit too.
7. Spot Gorse Flowers
In a bid to find the colour in January, look out for gorse (Ulex).
Bright, butter yellow gorse flowers are tough, often to be seen with snow on them this month. If you get your nose in close (watch out for the prickles) you can enjoy the coconut scent of the flowers – like suntan lotion on holiday!
Folklore says you should only kiss your beloved when gorse is in flower.
The good news is that between the different varieties of gorse, they’re pretty much in bloom throughout the year, even in the harsh winter months!
8. Welcome Imbolc
For me Imbolc is a beacon of hope nestled in the dark months.
This ancient Celtic celebration falls on the 1st of February but my countdown starts in January (as the Christmas paraphernalia is packed away and I'm enjoying the feeling of temporarily restored order) as my thoughts turn to the hopeful signs of early spring.
You can read more about Imbolc in my article ‘February the Quickening of Spring.’
9. Light Candles
Enjoy the gentle light of a candle rather than the glare of electric lights.
10. Hunt for Texture
Get outdoors and look for winter interest, textures and tone.
Without the distraction of colourful flowers you can concentrate on the shapes and contrasts.
Why not capture some of the texture in bark and leaf rubbings – a perfect throwback to childhood!
For more ideas you can watch my Nic&Jen film “On the Hunt for Texture” here:
I’m always on the look out for other seasonal ideas for brightening up the winter months. Please do share if you have something that works for you.
I hope you can enjoy your January, noticing the good stuff outdoors, lighting candles and leaning into the darkness. While you do, remember this joyous gem of news - over the course of January daylight increases by one whole hour. The days are slowly getting lighter!
Further Reading…
February is a month of push and pull between winter and early spring. The weather might still be ropey but what cannot be denied is the lengthening of the days. There’s a shift. The light begins to gather and the rising energy produces exciting, new growth. It’s that renewing energy that gives this time of year the term, The Quickening.