The last few weeks we have been doing the boring but important hygiene jobs around the nursery, keeping the tunnels clean to keep disease at bay. But at last, with January, the day length starts to get longer and with it our spirits lift. Soon the Lilies will arrive for us to pot up together with the Gladioli and a few extra Camassias that did't sell as autumn bulbs.

The weather in Europe is still mild enough to lift the big trees and so we are busy moving some beautiful specimens to their new homes. Before Christmas we successfully got the big 4.85 tonne copper Beech to a garden in Central London. The owners are so pleased they want us to get some even bigger trees for them next time.

While a fork can still be put in the ground Landscapers and designers are at full tilt , so we are busy supplying shrubs and perennials for our their bigger planting jobs.
The Plants for Chelsea have long since been organised and cosseted in their tunnels, but now the enquiries are starting to come in for Hampton Court.

Meanwhile trips are planned this month to see our friends at nurseries in Sicily, Spain, France and north Italy.Hopefully we will find they have kept all their best stock for us, together with a few new specials for the catalogue.

Helen, plant doctor and designer

: At this time of year heavy frosts can lie on the garden like a generous layer of icing, and I think this makes the garden look quite magical. When things appear in monochrome like this, the shapes and forms that make up the garden become more pronounced. Broad expanses of frosted lawn can look like a glistening shaggy carpet, while the stark silhouettes of bare stems can look incredible against a wintry skyline. Evergreen shrubs too, especially those with bold, architectural foliage or topiary shapes play an important role in the garden now, and if you get the balance right, the overall effect can really be quite enchanting.

Nick, Nursery manager

During the winter months, the garden becomes a local sanctuary for all kinds of wildlife. Lots of birds will be on the lookout for extra food, and whilst most will survive on worms, insects and the last few remaining berries and seedheads that they can find, you may want to hang out a few extra titbits to keep them fattened up. Think also about providing safe, sheltering spots for wildlife to nestle into to keep warm. In smaller gardens, this could be something as small as a hanging basket, while in larger areas, thick hedges, log piles and rough grass areas, which have been left uncut should do the trick. Finally, if you have a pond, make sure that they have an escape route for frogs and toads, as they cannot get out of steep-sided ponds.

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A traditional cottage garden favourite, this scrumptious plant produces its large, disc-like, white flowers (which often age to pink), in the depths of winter when little else is flowering. Commonly called the Christmas rose it is one of the earliest things into flower each year. They are durable and easy to grow, and thrive in dappled shade so are perfect for providing groundcover in a woodland garden.

Why I like it:

In the middle of winter I am always on the lookout for the first signs of the warmer weather, so to me these signal the start of the growing season and offer a promise of things to come. There is loads of mythology surrounding this plant. In days gone by it has been used to treat everything from gout to dementure. It is extremely toxic in large doses though, and some historians believe that Alexander the Great died because of an overdose.

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The spidery, flowers appear in clusters along the bare branches in winter and fill the chilly air with their delicious scent. These blooms are relatively large and glow a deep orange-red. Therefore this variety is considered by many to be one of the best red flowered witch hazels around. A natural woodland plant, they are low maintenance and make an interesting informal hedge. For major winter wow factor, plant them next to some of the Cornus varieties with colourful stems.

Why I like it:

This is a particularly lovely variation on the more traditional yellow form. If grown in full sun, it often flowers so abundantly that you will want to cut some of the flowering branches and bring them indoors. I love plants with more than one season of interest and this one comes up trumps. In the autumn you get the added bonus of watching the normally green foliage turn warm shades of yellow, orange and red. Also, the twigs of Hamamelis are often the preferred tool of water-diviners.

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Walk past this plant when it is in full flower and the delicious vanilla-like scent will stop you in your tracks. Therefore it is ideal for planting next to a walkway or beside a door where you can appreciate it every time you pass. The flowers are closely followed by long-lasting, glossy black berries, which look like glistening beads of jet. A relative of the common box, it is a tough plant, which copes well with pollution, dry shade and neglect.

Why I like it:

It may not look like a particularly exciting shrub, but it is one of my favourite staples. The glossy dark green foliage forms dense, bushy mounds, which provide year-round interest, and although the flowers are small, they pack a powerful punch. It is one of the best shade tolerant evergreen shrubs for planting under trees - although they will be equally happy in a sunnier spot as long as there is reliable moisture.

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Providing interesting winter silhouettes with its tortuously twisted bare winter branches. These shrubs look brilliant planted out in a spot where their misshapen profiles can be backlit by a low sun in a wintry sky - especially when the branches are laden with a generous layer of frost. Over the next few months, rich yellow, pendant catkins gradually unfurl and these appear to drip from the naked branches. For maximum impact, under-plant with early flowering crocus or winter aconites.

Why I like it:

You would be forgiven for not giving this plant a second glance in summer when its frame is covered in a blanket of foliage, but my bet is that it will be grabbing your attention now. When most plants look their best in spring, summer or autumn, it is so unexpected and special that this shrinking violet can sheds its leaves like a cloak and reveal something so enchanting.

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An extremely useful ornamental sedge that can be used in a multitude of ways. It is tolerant of sun or partial shade and the low mounds of fountain-like foliage form graceful, arching clumps, which appear quite architectural. It looks really impressive when planted in bold swathes, and equally exciting when spilling out of the top of a pot like a mop of shaggy hair. It can even be used in hanging baskets where its colourful foliage will provide year-round interest.

Why I like it:

The fine texture of this sedge really stands out against the foliage of other plants, and the dark green leaves with a broad lick of yellow really help to brighten up a shaded area. It is an easy to grow plant that is said to be unpalatable to deer, and it hardly ever succumbs to pests or diseases. They need little care apart from occasionally brushing your fingers through it to clear away the older growth.

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Growing from a creeping rhizome, this native, evergreen fern is incredibly versatile. It can be used for carpeting the ground, but is equally at home growing in old walls or crevices in large rocks. Personally my favourite is to wrap the rhizomes in moss and tie them onto tree trunks, or into the crooks of branches to help give the garden a tropical look. It is very effective in jungle or woodland style planting schemes.

Why I like it:

The sculptural shape of the fronds makes it one of the more attractive ferns, and unlike many other evergreen types, the foliage does not get really tatty in winter. It has an edible rhizome, which contains lots of sugar and it is sometimes used in making sweets like nougat and liquorice. It is also widely used in herbal medicine for all sorts of complaints including hepatitis, pleurisy, hives, sore throats and tummy aches. As if all this is not enough, it is also a well-known remedy for indigestion and loss of appetite - I think I will be sticking to chocolates though!