What to do in your garden in January

It's dismal out there. Squishy ground, seeping sky. A sullen streak of light between dawn and dusk during which time you'll actually be sat at your office desk five days out of seven and doing the washing the other two. The odd twenty minutes here and there while you're chasing blown over pots or blown in rubbish is not time to do anything in the garden ... unless you have a list ready.

My list:

Too wet to go out:

• Get the propagator fired up. I can start with Red Salvia, Rainbow Chillies and Black Krim and just improvise through the seedbox from there.
• Plant sweet peas. In the shed, where I might also tidy up some pots and seeds.
• TLC for the brought in plants. Nosferatu Pepper #1 is drooping, but it could recover?

Murky, cold and horrible:

• Put down any stray bulbs not yet planted. I had been waiting until after a decent cold spell, but that's not going to happen in time this year.
• Sweep the leaves onto the flower beds. It's a quick job but everything likes it.
• Cut back the ivy. The sisyphean task.

A fine afternoon:

• Pot on the apple tree. I had been waiting for a good phase of dormancy, but I think it's not coming.
• Cut back the hedges and the edges. There is encroachment going on.
• Prune the vine. 

There are also some write-in tasks I have waiting - pick up some Abutilon cuttings from a friend, e.g. but they can go off the main list.