As Autumn and Winter are approaching, the weather is getting colder and the nights are drawing in, we’ll be using our gardens less and less as the weeks go on. Our barbecues and sun loungers away for another year as the Earth gears up for the upcoming seasons. The best 4 months of the year, in my humble opinion!
Photo by Genesis Castillo on Unsplash
But the keen gardeners and outdoorsy folk among us might not think so, as chilling in the garden, surrounded by blooming flowers, buzzing bees and an array of colours is out of the question now until next Spring rolls around.
But it’s important to still take care of your garden, even if you’re not going to be using it as much. You wouldn’t want to get into Spring next year for it to be completely unusable because you didn’t prepare properly for Winter.
Here are some simple ways to prepare your garden for Autumn & Winter!
De-clutter and have an Autumn clear out
I feel like a broken record sometimes when I talk about de-cluttering because I just love it so much but damn, have a de-clutter of your garden! Chances are, it’s an area of your home you’ve neglected. That means clearing out the shed, cleaning your green house if you’ve got one and just generally throwing away anything old or broken.
Take care of your lawn
We have a gardener that comes once every two weeks for most of the year (that sounds more posh than it is!) apart from during Winter and it’s very noticeable when he hasn’t been. Artificial grass is best installed in Autumn or Winter, when the ground isn’t as hard – so that could be a good option for tidying up your lawn during the colder months!
Cover any potted shrubs to prevent frost damage
Shrubs which have been planted into pots during the year are at risk of frost damage when the dead of Winter hits us. Although it’s not very aesthetically pleasing, wrapping these pots in bubble wrap can be a really useful way to help prevent that from happening over Winter!
Cover your garden furniture
Chances, are you’re not going to be using your garden furniture much when it’s minus one outside. So when the weather starts to drop, treat wooden furniture accordingly and cover up or put away (if you have the room) anything you’re not going to be using until next Spring, to prevent it getting damaged.
Look after your garden’s wildlife
Winter can be tough on wildlife, so they need all the help they can get from us during the cold months. Make sure there’s bird feed out and bird baths are filled (and don’t forget the break the ice in them if they ice over). If you’re planning any bonfires, ensure there’s no wildlife hiding around before you light it.
Fairy lights for Christmas
And lastly, you can’t not pop up some pretty fairy lights for the holiday season in your garden to make it look as magical as possible? You can buy some great LED lights – which are also more energy efficient and better for the environment and also outdoor-friendly. Turn your garden into a Winter wonderland!
How do you prepare your garden for the Autumn and Winter months?
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