January gardening diary: attend to houseplants

Give them plenty of TLC but resist the temptation to feed your houseplants this winter

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House Plant
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The days are short and often gloomy, so many houseplants are in the doldrums. Work through each one, removing decaying tissue cleanly. Make sure there is plenty of natural light available, ideally on a north-facing windowsill, and that temperatures are not too warm for a plant that's essentially dormant. Draughts are usually disastrous, so keep plants away from doors in frequent use. Water only sufficiently to prevent wilting, as growth is at a minimum and sitting in the wet is an unwelcome prospect. Resist the temptation to feed. For now, things should just tick over.

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Country Life
Country Life

Country Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by HRH The King not once, but twice. It is a celebration of modern rural life and all its diverse joys and pleasures — that was first published in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year. Our eclectic mixture of witty and informative content — from the most up-to-date property news and commentary and a coveted glimpse inside some of the UK's best houses and gardens, to gardening, the arts and interior design, written by experts in their field — still cannot be found in print or online, anywhere else.

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