Making The Most of Your Garden in Winter

This time of year does seem like a little bit of an unusual time of year to be thinking about your garden. But as I have been learning, the garden never sleeps. And even though this time of year isn’t as busy in the garden, as things aren’t growing in abundance, there are things that you should be doing (as well as things that you shouldn’t). Then when spring rolls around the garden will be in tip top shape for the time when everything starts to bloom again. Plus, there can be a lot of wildlife coming into your garden in the winter, looking for somewhere warm to hide or for food to eat.

Here are some things that you can do in your garden over winter:

1. One of the first things that you can do is to move around containers and planters that contain bedding plants or shrubbery. By moving them to a more sheltered spot in the garden, it helps to protect them more from the elements. If you have a few, clustering them together can be a good idea as it can be an extra protection from getting damaged by frost.
2. Winter can be an ideal time to help to look after wildlife. Not only do we as humans want to hibernate more, but so do insects and small animals that can normally be food for bigger animals in the warmer months. By getting some mealworms for birds in bird feeders, for example, it can help to keep wild birds coming into your garden and looking after them when it is cold.
3. If we ever get a time when there isn’t rain or frost on the ground, then it can be a good idea to cut the grass. You won’t need to cut the grass down as much as you would in the spring and summer months, so you could raise the height of the lawn mower blades. It helps to keep the grass healthy and strong, rather than giving it a shock when spring rolls around when you mow it down short.
4. If you have any climbers in the garden, then check that they are supported and tied with plant ties. This will help them to keep strong over winter when high winds, rain, and frost can all be more likely. 
5. If you do find that your garden is full of frost and snow, then avoid walking on the lawn when this happens (as tempting as it can be)! If you overdo it, then it can damage the grass underneath.

When you look after your garden, even in the winter, it will mean that when the better weather and temperatures roll around, the garden will be in the best possible condition. Then you can make the most of enjoying the space that you have in the sunshine, rather than having to plant everything again and starting all over again.