Prepare Your Garden for Winter

As the flowers die off and leaves fall, lots can be done to get prepared for the changes in weather and next years’ growing season. Autumn is the time to prepare your garden for the colder winter months. 

Clean up 

With lots of use, al fresco dining and plants growing over the spring and summer months comes lots of cleaning and tidying to get your garden back in top shape once the warm weather fades.

Paving slabs generally build up with dirt and grime, and as this accumulates it not only becomes unsightly, but can also become slippery and hazardous during wet and icy weather. Taking a pressure washer to this as autumn rolls around helps ensure your garden remains safe and tidy over the winter. 

If you are growing some seasonal vegetables or plants in a greenhouse, now is a good time to give the glass a good clean to ensure any amount of winter sunshine can reach the plants to help them thrive. You might have been putting it off but replacing any broken glass now will also help to keep them warm throughout winter. With the last few weeks of dry autumn weather, ventilating your greenhouse through and giving it a brush out will benefit it in the long run. 

This is also the perfect time to remove any dead and dried up plants from pots, and to brush and clean them out ready for spring planting. 

Bird feed

Throughout the winter birds need a little extra help in finding food to get through the cold months. Ensure you top up your bird feeder regularly with fresh nuts and seeds to keep wildlife sustained. This will entice lots of different birds into your garden which are lovely to watch on cold frosty mornings. 

Pruning

The perfect opportunity for pruning is generally once all the leaves have fallen from trees and shrubs as this allows you to fully see the shape of the tree and remove any branches that are too long or hang too low from the rest. 

Remember to check each individual plant for the best pruning times to ensure you don't damage it, but giving everything a good trim now will help keep your garden looking tidy and also prepare it ahead of new growth in the spring.

Tidy lawn 

Now is the time to give your lawn some well needed TLC. Many of us will have patches plagued by moss, and now is a great time to treat it. Sprinkle over some moss killer and rake up the remainder of it when the time comes. Once this is done you could also treat your grass to some lawn feed to help it over the winter and give it the best chance of looking great once spring rolls back around. 

You can also help to improve the drainage of your lawn ahead of the wet season by taking a garden fork and pressing deep holes into the ground at regular intervals which will lessen the chances of it becoming boggy should there be heavy rainfall. 

Furniture

You’re more than likely going to have some pieces of outdoor furniture in your garden that have been well-enjoyed over the summer. However, to ensure it’ll be good to last for many more summers to come it’s best to take the time in the autumn before wet weather sets in to cover it over or move it into a sheltered spot such as a garage or shed. 

Of course, if you have teak pieces then it’s durable enough to withstand these conditions, simply ensure it is not sat somewhere where rainwater collects and pools as this will cause the teak to deteriorate. We always recommend, however, to cover over your teak or move it indoors as you would other pieces when possible, just to ensure that it really does last a lifetime. 

Putting in place these simple measures to prepare your garden for winter as soon as the cooler weather sets in means you’ll have a head start when Spring comes back around!