❄️ Winter Garden Maintenance
Winter is time for maintenance work in the garden, so pop a fleece on and tackle a few outside jobs. Maybe consider any changes in hard landscaping, new pathways, seating areas or patio. Add a vegetable plot if you don’t already have one, or create a new flower border.
✂️ Pruning and Feeding Time
Hydrangeas, deciduous fruity tees and any other plants that are needing pruning and tidying up can be sorted now. After pruning feed the plants with a general fertiliser, then add a large mulch around them, avoiding the mulch from touching the stems as this can cause rot to set in.
🌱 Move and Reorganise Dormant Plants
As most plants are dormant you can safely move them to a more suitable spot, and adding plenty of compost and bone meal to the new planting hole. This is a good way to make a few changes to the layout of the garden.
🌾 Cut Back Perennials and Grasses
Herbaceous perennials like Penstemon, Echinacea, Salvias and Bergamot along with various Ornamental grasses can be cut back now.
🌸 Add Winter Colour
Plant out Winter flowering plants to add welcome colour to the borders and containers. Try Calendulas, Bella Perennis, Antirrhinums, Violas, Osteopermums, Pansies, Dianthus, Petunias and Gazanias. Nectar-feeding birds will welcome any Aloes too.
🫐 Plant Winter Fruit Crops
Fruit plants like raspberries, blueberries and blackberries can be planted out at the end of June/ beginning July. The blueberry needs to be planted in ericaceous soil, so a large container is ideal.
🌿 Grow Herbs and Winter Vegetables
Herbs, such as Thyme, Origanum, Hyssop, Sage, Parsley and Chervil will grow well in Winter, along with Broad Beans, Cabbage, Swiss Chard, Carrots, Turnips and Leeks for healthy hearty meals during Winter.
💧 Prepare for Summer Water Needs
With the dry, hot Summer season ahead make sure there are plenty of rain butts installed ready to catch precious rainwater. Check out irrigation systems that also use rainwater as, once installed, will help keep your garden plants watered with minimal effort.
🐦 Care for Garden Birds
Remember to keep feeding the birds with pieces of fruit and filling bird feeders with seed, also keep topping up bird baths with fresh water.
