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January is usually a quiet month for gardeners as most plants are dormant and do not need any maintenance, but roses need a little more care now to come back healthy after winter. Roses begin to come out of dormancy in late January if you live in a warmer part of the UK, like southern England and Wales; otherwise, they will begin growing again in February.

Even though it is getting warmer, the weather is still incredibly rainy, which makes roses highly vulnerable to fungal diseases like black spot, mildew, and even mould. These diseases are difficult to get rid of, and they will greatly weaken the plant, so it is unlikely to grow any flowers or be strong enough to fight off pests that will also be waking up in spring. However, Ben Hamilton Anderson, a rose expert who is also known as The Gardener Ben, has shared that the best way to protect roses is not with sprays or fertilisers, but simply cleaning up the garden.

In a video online, Ben said: "The best way of getting rid of black spot, mould and mildew is to avoid it at all costs in the first place. We do that by making sure at this time of year we completely cleanse the garden of everything we can get a hold of."

"Now, that does not mean reaching for a chemical and slopping and spraying things all over the place. It means that we're being neat and tidy and mindful about what we're looking at.

"We're keeping our secateurs clean, we're removing any foliage which is going to be infected with matter from last year."

If you wish to keep roses safe, you only need to take a few minutes to remove any decaying foliage around the plant by picking up fallen leaves.

Fungal spores can survive on dead leaves throughout winter, so it is important to remove them now because they begin to spread as temperatures rise.

Fallen leaves also trap moisture, which encourages spores to grow, and during rainfall, water splashing from the ground can carry spores onto the roses and cause infection.

When clearing leaves, make sure to wear gloves and wash your hands afterwards, as spores are very resilient and can be spread on garden tools or plants through touch.

Once you have picked up the leaves, do not throw them in your compost, as the bin will not get hot enough to kill the spores, and it will just cause them to spread throughout your garden.

At this time of year, you should only place leaves in your household waste bin, but it is also fine to burn them if you are permitted to.

Clearing leaves is simple, but it is the most effective way to help roses thrive once they begin growing again and ensure you get the best possible flowers when spring arrives.