Gardening Jobs for the Winter

As the cold months approach, you might be thinking it’s best to leave your garden as it is for the winter, but there’s actually a lot you can do to maintain your garden and keep it fresh in time for spring. We’ve put together some things you can get on with in your backyard to keep yourself busy in the garden this winter.

Clean down your patio and furniture

If you’ve been using your garden a lot during the summer and autumn then it’s bound to have collected some dirt and grime around your patio, tables, decking and any paving slabs you have. It’s also an ideal time to clean it all down, since you won’t be using it as much now that it’s colder, ideally using a pressure washer to remove stains, dirt and grime from your decking. Use a decent detergent to wipe down any furniture you have out, and scrub away any moss or growth you find between paving slabs.

Cut back unwanted growth on your large plants and trees

You might have a few trees in your garden gathering fruit across the year. As most of the trees will be out of action for some time it’s a perfect time to cut the trees back and remove any unnecessary growth. Branches and leaves might be taking over some parts of the garden, so cutting them back now will prepare them for the next season. Doing this in the winter also reduces the chance you have of damaging the trees and plants you have.

Start by cutting back any dead leaves and dried out parts of the plants or trees to make room for new growth, before tackling other areas.

Provide shelter and food for garden wildlife

With foxes, squirrels, birds and hedgehogs all trying to find food and shelter, with some animals preparing for hibernation, you can plan ahead. Look to install bird feeders for your regular flying visitors who will look to take advantage of the seeds and fruit you have. Set up a small “hotel” for little creatures to take refuge in or make small gaps in your fence so that they can travel from garden to garden.

Get on with the weeding

Everyone’s least favourite activity is upon us, and that’s weeding! It’s best to tackle this in the winter to reduce the spread that will come in the spring, so arm yourself with weed killer and a trowel to really dig out the roots of the weeds to stop them from coming back. With ample sunlight, warmth and water weeds truly thrive, so take advantage of the harsher weather by taming them now before they can spiral out of control.

Look to add some raised sleeper beds

You can get a head start on your vegetable growing if you get some raised sleeper beds and fill them with good quality soil. Thankfully you can actually grow a lot of vegetables in the winter, such as carrots, broccoli, cabbage and Brussel sprouts. If you’re a keen gardener, lay down your seeds early and see if you can grow some vegetables you can use on your Christmas dinner plate! Fortunately, we have a number of raised sleeper beds you can take a look at to get you started.

There’s plenty to get on with in your garden, whether it’s pruning, adding new vegetables or doing a deep clean of your decking. Feel good in the fact that when it’s all over you can sit back with a warm cup of tea once it’s done!