The warm summer months are now something of the past and now is your opportunity to get your garden ready for the cold winter months ahead. Something to keep in mind is that winter is the best period for cleaning and pruning, planning, organising, and maintaining your garden so that it’s ready for next spring. Below are some important steps to preparing your garden for winter.
Cleaning and tidying
Before you tend to your plants and shrubs, you’ll need to do a little cleaning of all the areas. If you have a greenhouse, remove unwanted items, sweep out the debris left by plants and soil and clean all surfaces including your windows. The use of eco-friendly cleaners prevents fungal growth and bad pests from getting out of control without killing your precious plants in the process. Leave your greenhouse to air out over the next few days.
Trim, prune, and tidy your edges
Ensuring your garden is ready for spring comes with cutting back old seasonal growth. You’ll most likely need to remove all your annuals and replace them with daisies, primulas, and pansies. Prune back your perennials and allow for your garden seed heads to stand out. Once done, cover your beds in a fresh layer of mulch. Use your refuse leaves, compost, and regular soil to feed your beds. A thick layer of leaves will also reduce moisture loss, regulate the temperature of the soil and eventually break down, releasing nutrients into the soil.
Winter is also the best time as most trees are dormant and there is less chance of infection on the cut ends. July is the month favoured by experts to prune trees.
Take care of your lawn
Treat your lawn to an application of lawn dressing. The added nutrition and goodness will be evident within days and you’ll be rewarded with a healthy lawn for longer. Feed your lawn to better prepare it for the cold months.
Plant evergreens
Nothing holds its shape or adds colour to your winter garden like evergreen or deciduous plants. Fill your garden with evergreens and it will appear lush and inviting all winter long. Plant large and stylish shrubs like Camellias which are truly beautiful, all-year-round garden favourites, frost-resistant Azaleas or alternatively, try planting Snapdragons, eye-catching bedding plants with bright green foliage and in a wide array of attractive flowering shades – perfect during winter.
Net your pools and ponds
Protect your pumps and filters by spreading a finely meshed net across your pond and do the same for your pool if you don’t already have a pool net.
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