Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
Flower Power
It may be winter, but it doesn’t mean your garden needs to look drab. Some plants love the colder months and can still make your garden look vibrant. Flowering plants like snapdragon, sweet pea, English daisies and veggies like broccoli, cabbage and peas along with beetroots, radishes and baby carrots grow best during the colder months. There is no reason why your garden shouldn’t bloom in winter.
Bear in mind that growing fruit isn’t just for a rural property. Consider planting berries, such as dogwood or cranberries, which can add a vibrant accent to your garden. They’ll act like droplets of colour on a blank canvas, and you could even use them for some delicious winter drinks and meals.
Feed the Birds, Tuppence a Bag
By installing a winter birdhouse, you can feel good for two reasons. A bird feeder is a nice touch for any property, especially with the frost is collecting on its roof. You’ll be the envy of the neighbourhood when birds begin gathering to feed at your garden.
Secondly, watching the little critters feed at your birdhouse, you can feel good that you’ve helped a fellow creature out. Stock your feeder with black oil sunflower seeds, which will make a hearty meal for just about any bird liable to pay you a visit. You’ll want to avoid mixes with a lot of oats and millet.
Mulch the Garden
Adding mulch in winter will help moderate the soil temperature and keep the roots of your plants cool and moist. This is very important during the colder months especially if your garden is prone to frost. Mulch will help stop soil erosion and ensure the soil isn’t damaged from rain or wind.
Compost the Leaves
As the leaves fall off the trees and your garden is strewen with dead leaves, take this opportunity to add as much as you can into a compost bin. These leaves will break down into mulch, compost and leaf mold – all valuable garden fertilisers.
Check for Disease
Before winter sets in it is important to check that your plants are free of disease. Make sure you remove all dead plant material, leaves, dead plants, old vegetables and wipe down any support structures likes trellises to make sure there are no disease. Weeding in winter is important as weeds are the first to germinate when the weather heats up so getting rid of them before spring will save you a lot of effort come spring time.
