The Top Garden Trends of 2017
How to Winter-Proof your Garden
As we are well into Autumn and heading for the winter months, now is a good time to make sure your garden is prepared. Clearing up your garden may seem like a big job but we’ve got some useful tips for you to make it easier.
Follow our guide to making sure everything from your trees, to your garden shed is protected from the inevitably cold and wet weather.
Paths and Paving
After all the leaves have fallen, clear up all the leaves and other remaining waste from all paths and paved areas. Then use soapy water and a brush to clean these areas. This will prevent the paths from getting too slippery in colder weather.
TIP! Don’t throw away the leaves – compost them!
Greenhouses
As the days are getting shorter, daylight is more valuable. Therefore, autumn is a good time to clean your greenhouse thoroughly. Make it easier for light to get in by cleaning the roof, removing dirt, debris and watermarks.
Whilst you’re at it, you may as well clean the inside too. Remove all the plants and give your greenhouse a good scrub, also disinfecting the staging. Make sure to let it dry out completely for a couple of days before you return your plants to the greenhouse.
Garden sheds
Garden sheds are of course designed to cope with the weather all year round, but there are some things you should take care of.
Check the roofing felt. If it is damaged, repair or replace it entirely to ensure it is waterproof. This will prevent the roof timber from rotting.
Take the time to clear out your shed before putting everything in. Get rid of broken pots and old worn out tools. You can then organise the shed so that, come spring, it will be much easier to find everything you’re looking for.
Furniture
There are many types of garden furniture. Some can be weather-proofed however, some must be kept inside or under cover. For example soft furnishing must be taken inside during the winter, and plastic furniture is prone to discolouration in extreme weather. A tarpaulin secured over the furniture should be enough to protect it if you haven’t the space inside to keep your plastic furniture.
Most hardwood furniture can be left outside during the winter. Now is a good time to treat it. Refer to the manufacturers instructions to find which treatment you should use.
Wildlife
You’ll of course need to trim back certain plants in your garden, but leave some herbaceous perennials. This will ensure the wildlife your garden attracts is taken care of during the winter. You can also put out feeders and water baths for the birds.
If your garden has a pond, cover it over with a net until all the leaves have fallen, this will prevent it from getting clogged up. During very cold weather, be aware that your pond could freeze over. If you have any fish keep an eye and break the surface of the ice if this occurs.
Snow
Although luckily in the UK we don’t always have prolonged bouts of snow, it’s good to be prepared. Snow can cause severe damage to plants and trees so it’s best to keep an eye out during extremely cold weather. If snow does start to settle, make sure you gently knock it off plant leaves, and tree branches. By doing this, it’ll prevent potential damage to your garden.
Follow these tips to make sure your garden can survive the winter months. Although there’s a lot to get done, doing so now will be well worth it in the long run. You’ll thank us later!
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