Celebrated gardening expert Monty Don has revealed his approach to the festive gardening break and explained how one particular part of the Christmas season signals the beginning of his horticultural new year.
The 70-year-old Gardeners' World host was discussing his winter downtime on the BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Podcast, when filming comes to a halt.
He spoke about the constraints this season places on gardeners due to the abbreviated daylight hours and the limited work that can be accomplished.
Monty noted that consequently, there was little sense in persevering during a period when garden tasks are minimal.
Monty revealed: "Boxing Day is effectively the beginning of the new gardening year for me", reports the Express.
When asked whether his break was intentional, Monty responded: "It doesn't get light until 8 o'clock and it's dark by half past four....Basically there's not much you can do after four o'clock in the afternoon.
"So the days are short, the weather is bad. It doesn't make any sense to struggle on our very heavy soil making a mess and compacting the soil and making it worse. So for purely horticultural practicality, less is often more.
"There's very little that you need to do in December you can't catch up on in January or even February that, if you're organised, you couldn't have done in November."
While Monty has discussed how winter represents a quiet period for gardens across the UK, he also shared insights into his own challenging times. Earlier this year, Monty opened up about his struggle with seasonal affective disorder, a condition which impacts approximately three in 100 people across the UK.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) develops when an individual's mood fluctuates according to seasonal changes.
In conversation with Gardeners' World Magazine, Monty revealed: "December can be a low time of year for me psychologically, as I am prone to seasonal affective disorder, but my spirits always rise when we get to Boxing Day.
"Even if it's filthy weather, I always do some gardening - I go to the potting shed and sow some tomatoes, chillies and onions. It gives me the sense that we are working towards spring.
"If the weather allows, I will start pruning the apples. It takes me about a week to prune the orchard, and I really enjoy it in dry, cold weather. I'm very happy doing that job in the quiet week between Christmas and New Year."
For emotional support, you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans. org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.