The Holly and The Ivy

The temperatures outside have dropped quite noticeably lately, and there is a definite vibe of autumn in the air. But time passes by so quickly, that it will soon start to get colder and frostier, and your garden will need to be ready for it. If you can take some now, to prepare for winter in your garden, then it can be a really wise move. It can help you to keep winter plants happy, as well as making sure that your soil is happy so that come springtime, it is healthy and ready to work hard. So here are some tips on what to do.

Protect Soil

If you leave your soil exposed in the cold weather, then it can take away some of the life that is contained in it, which can be really beneficial to what grows in it. There will be a bunch of creatures that will want to live in your garden over winter, from worms to bugs, and mushrooms, so to keep them able to live and grow happily, then laying up the surface can be a good idea. Some natural compost can be a good idea, as well as a manure. If there is a thick layer, then it can help to avoid the frost, as well as keep the plant roots hidden under there healthy and ready for spring. The goodness will filter down, but there will be a thick protection against the frost or snow.

Plan Hardy Plants

There are some plants that do well in winter, and if you want to have a garden that doesn’t look completely bare, then they can be a good idea to plant. For example, if you have gaps in your hedge, filling in with some holly, from somewhere like Hedgeplants Heijnen can be a really good idea. They are a plant that is associated with Christmas, so naturally, it does well in winter. The same goes for evergreen trees like conifers or pine trees. So if you want to some colour that will help to protect your garden, then these are things to think about.

Protect Containers

In winter, one of the big problems in a garden can be planters. The reason being is that things like herbs that are grown in them, can get overwet. When the soil can’t catch a break and is constantly wet, wet and damp, which can easily happen in winter, then it can make the soil really, not any good at all. So being able to get excess moisture away is really important. So looking for a way to drain planters is a good idea, which can be done easily when the planters are raised on something like ‘pot feet.’ You could also wrap planters up in fabric, or even bubble wrap, to help them to stop cracking, because they can expand when wet, and then contract when frozen.

Putting in the work now in your garden will really help when spring comes. So what will you make a start with first?