Forget about joining an expensive gym, a few hours of energetic tidying in the garden at this time of year will help you shed those excess pounds. Remember the colder it is the more calories you will burn just trying to stay warm!

Tidying also helps you discover hiding places for slugs and snails during the winter – a surefire way of reducing their numbers come the summer.

If soil is frosty or wet, try to avoid walking over beds as this can easily destroy the soil structure.

Continue planting dormant trees and shrubs in January and check that any newly planted shrubs have not been lifted up by the winter frosts. If so, use your heel to firm them back into the soil again.

In the event of heavy snowfall, carefully brush snow off conifers and evergreen plants to prevent the weight breaking any branches.

Happy new year to all gardeners from the team at eazitools!