Ways to Enjoy Your Garden in Winter

Things to do in the garden during winter

Prune

Prune fruit trees, deciduous hedges and shrubs during the winter months to encourage new, healthy shoots in spring.  Most roses should be cut back hard in January or February before the new leaves start to emerge.

Cut the lawn

Give your grass a good cut every few weeks if the weather is mild and you notice some growth.  Cast stone lawn edging can make your regular cut so much easier.

Get planting

Winter is the best time to plant bare-root trees and shrubs.  The soil should be frost-free and not frozen.

Clean

With less other garden work needing to be done over winter, now is a good time to give your outside space a little spruce.  Hose or pressure wash paths and patios, clean up your greenhouse and put away any tools.  It’s also a good idea to give you favourite garden planters, bird bath, water feature or fountain a quick clean.

Protect outside taps

To prevent your outside taps and pipes from bursting, always try to drain and isolate them before winter.

Shelter tender plants

Frost and freezing temperatures can easily damage tender perennials.  Protect potted plants by moving them under cover.  Wrap plants in borders with fleece, straw or hessian to help see them through the winter.

Order seed catalogues

Stay one step ahead of the new sowing season by choosing which seeds, tubers and plants you’d like to grow in your garden in a few months’ time.

Prepare water features for winter

Drain down your water features until any risk of hard frost has passed to prevent the water from freezing inside the bowl.  Now is also a good time to dismantle the pump and give it a thorough clean.

Winter plants for your garden

Your winter garden doesn’t need to be drab.  These colourful winter favourites are perfect for injecting some much needed cheer into your outside space, even on the dullest of days.

Snowdrops
Often referred to as the harbingers of spring, snowdrops usually flower from January to March and are one of the nation’s favourite winter plants.

Cyclamen
If bright, bold colours are your thing, then adding hardy cyclamen to your patio pots and borders is definitely for you.

Crocus
Planted in drifts, diminutive crocus will add little pops of colour to any garden.  Left to naturalise, these low growing perennials will fill your lawns and borders within a few years.

Winter aconites
Unmistakeably bright and bold, winter aconites have cheery buttercup-like faces and are tolerant throughout any harsh winter.

Glory of the snow
Related to the asparagus family, this pretty plant bears sapphire blue blooms, which will contrast boldly against winter aconites and crocus flowers.

Hellebores
Commonly known as the winter rose, hellebores flower from late November onwards.  Hardy, frost-resistant and full of pleasing colours from pure white to dark purple.

Cornus
The dramatic dogwood is at its best during the winter months when it creates a spectacular display with its fiery red stems.

Winter Wildlife in the Garden

During our cold season it’s easy to stay indoors and forget about life in the garden.  But wintertime can be a hive of activity in your plot.

Whilst food is scarce and water supplies freeze over, our native wildlife can suffer.  So to look after your favourite birds and pollinators, simply follow these simple activities:

• Replenish bird feeders with nutritious, high-fat sources of food
• Top up your bird bath with fresh clean water and place a tennis ball into the bowl to prevent the liquid from freezing over
• Leave berries and seed heads on your plants to provide extra sustenance
• Provide areas for hedgehogs, field mice and other creatures to hide – a pile or leaves and branches in a quiet corner is ideal

Find out how to look after your garden birds this winter in our helpful blog:

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