At this time of year it may look as though everything in the garden is at rest, but many plants in mild winters will continue to grow well into December. A good tidy up in the garden will make it look smart and neat, but often wildlife, especially birds, appreciate it if we leave seed heads on plants for them to eat. There’s still time to finish those garden jobs before the frosts make the ground unworkable and it’s more tempting to be indoors out of the cold. Whether it’s sorting out your your lawn, dividing perennials, trimming hedges, clearing weeds or preparing the greenhouse for winter, this is a good time to get things in order for spring.
Garden Care Calendar – Winter
What jobs are there to do in the garden in winter? This video has an overview of jobs to do in the garden in winter.
If you are concerned about your plants in containers and are not sure what to do with them during the winter, this video shows you what to do and how to do it.
Some Things To Do
- The soil at this time of the year is still warm so finish off planting evergreens such as conifers. It is also the perfect time to get soil prepared for planting deciduous trees and shrubs. Dig in lots of organic matter such as compost or well-rotted manure.
- Rake up leaves from the lawn and borders and compost them. Leaves make one of the best composts.
- Protect tender plants with Fleece. You can buy a horticultural fleece that comes in rolls and you just wrap up the plant, like using a blanket. This does require a bit of dexterity especially on a windy autumn day when you have to wrestle with the fleece and at the same time use string to tie it around the plant. Or you could use a fleece jacket that is simply pulled down over the plant and has a draw string at the base to tie it up?
- Plant bulbs for a spring display. By the time spring comes around you will have forgotten about them and will be so surprised when they flower and brighten up the garden in spring.
- Grass needs a bit of care at this time of the year if you want them to look their best next year. Keep cutting if needed but raise the blades so you do not scalp the grass. Lawn roots like the soil to be free draining so aerate your lawn either with a machine or, if you have a small lawn, with a garden fork pushed in as far as you can. You can fill in the holes with a gritty compost to aid drainage.