Is your garden winter-ready? AyeGardening share the maintenance jobs that you can be doing now, to over-winter your garden and get it ready for Spring

1. Tidy up the garden

Before the weather gets much wilder, take some time to tidy up the garden. Cut back or discard plants that have finished blooming, which will give you the opportunity to prepare the soil for spring planting.   Tidy away pots, tools, toys and garden furniture to protect them from the winter weather, and to prevent them getting blown around in high winds and causing damage to your property. Give them a good clean first, before storing away or covering with purpose-made covers. 

2. Protect non-hardy plants

Bring non-hardy plants and pots inside, move them to the greenhouse if you have one, or protect with garden fleece or mulches.  

3. Prune and tie-back shrubs

You can help your shrubs to survive winter’s harsh weather and strong winds by giving them a good prune and tying them back to secure them. Now is the perfect time to trim hedges too, so that they keep looking good throughout the autumn and winter and provide some structure to your garden at a time when it can look a bit wild out there!

4. Rake the lawn

Your lawn won’t grow much over the winter, so at least you can cross mowing off your to-do list for a little while! Instead, use this time to regularly rake up the leaves and other debris. This will stop a build-up of thatch, which can prevent nutrients from getting to your grass. For any thatch and moss that has accumulated, rake it up and add it to your compost pile.  

5. Aerate the lawn

If you notice any damage or water pooling in your lawn, aerating will help. Make aeration holes by pushing your garden fork down into the lawn, roughly every 10cm. If damage is particularly bad, now is also a good time to lay new turf, as it will have plenty of time to establish itself before spring.

For more advice on caring for your lawn, visit AyeGardening’s Lawn Care Calendar.

6. Keep on top of the leaves

It may not be your favourite job, but keep sweeping up the fallen leaves to avoid build up in your garden. We’ve already mentioned the problems that leaf build-up can cause to lawns – but piles of rotting leaves on patios and pathways can become dangerously slippery, as well as messy. So keep piling them up, and save them in your compost area to make leaf mulch. The leaves will rot down to a crumbly texture, when you can then use them as a mulch on your flower beds.

7. Protect water features and net ponds

If you have a water feature, you’ll want to prevent fallen leaves getting into them by covering with netting. And if your water feature isn’t frost-resistant, protect it with garden fleece over the colder months.  

8. Empty compost bins

Empty out your old, matured compost before you start adding new waste from all your garden tidying efforts. Your newly cleared and tidied beds and borders will thank you!  

9. Feed the birds

With the weather getting colder and food sources becoming more scarce, you might want to put out a bird table or bird feeder for our feathered friends.  

10. Start planning for next year!

You may spend less time in your garden over winter, but that doesn’t mean you have to stop thinking about it! Use this time to plan for next year, whether that’s new planting, purchasing seeds... or even a whole new landscaping project. AyeGardening would love to help!