Your Ultimate Garden Care Guide For Autumn and Winter

With one of the hottest summers on record finally coming to a close, it’s finally time to start preparing for the colder months of the year. As autumn ushers in a period of falling leaves, wetter soil, and shorter days – not to mention colder temperatures – it’s now officially time to start pruning, tidying, and protecting our most delicate plants to ensure that your garden is poised to flourish in Spring. So, without any further ado, let me take you through our ultimate garden care guide for autumn and winter.

Keep on Top of Fallen Leaves

Autumn leaves might well carry their own seasonal beauty, but once they start to pile up, they can quickly become a messy problem, especially when soggy after it’s rained. Since none of us want to risk slipping and falling this winter, and our gutters are much better off when they aren’t clogged up by rotting leaves, it’s probably best that we keep on top of those pesky leaves.

So make sure that you are regularly raking and/or collecting these fallen leaves. On top of blocking drains and being a safety hazard, they can also cover your grass and deprive it of much-needed sunlight, so remove the leaves from your lawn to make sure your grass gets enough light and air through the autumn and winter months.

All of those leaves can actually be useful, too. I like to add them to my compost bin or turn it into leaf mould, which can be a great soil conditioner. It’s also worth pointing out that you don’t need to get rid of all of the leaves in your garden. In fact, it’s always good to keep some leaves scattered around certain flower beds, or underneath trees and shrubs, as they can be great for insulation.

Prune Trees, Shrubs, and Hedges

One reason I actually look forward to autumn and winter is that I love pruning, trimming, and generally giving my garden a good tidy.

These colder months provide great opportunities to shape a lot of major shrubs and hedges, so it’s time to get to work. Start by using a brushcutter to get rid of any diseased or dead growth and tidying up overgrown branches. After you’ve done this, your garden will feel like it has a lot more breathing room.

For large or thick hedges, you might need a heavy duty hedge trimmer to straighten up those edges – particularly if you’re cutting through dense growth. But when you’re working with dangerous equipment, always check the manufacturer’s instructions and wear the correct protective gear; it’s always better to be on the safe side. 

Protect Your Delicate Plants

With cold weather comes frost. And for a lot of tender plants, frost can spell disaster. Move these plants into pots in either your conservatory or greenhouse, or another sheltered area where they’ll be protected from frost. For the plants that are staying outside, you can provide some extra protection with mulch or a horticultural fleece.

If some of your plants are kept in containers, then they’re even more vulnerable because their roots have less insulation than other plants whose roots grow directly into the ground. To give your contained plants a better chance of surviving the winter, group their pots together up against a sheltered wall and elevate them slightly so they’re away from cold, wet surfaces.

Don’t Stop Planting!

Just because it’s autumn, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t a productive time to plant various trees, shrubs, and bulbs. In fact, the cooler weather and wetter conditions can actually help some species to establish their roots before the summer heat kicks in.

I’d recommend focusing on bulbs that flower in spring, like daffodils or tulips, as they’ll add some much-needed colour to your garden after winter. Before you start planting, improve your soil with some well-rotted compost and choose the right spot for each plant based on its moisture and light needs.

Maintain Your Garden Tools

Winter is the best time of year to audit the old tool shed. Take stock of all the tools you own, paying close attention to the ones that need some maintenance. Apply a small amount of approved resin solvent to spades, forks, pruners and other hand tools to remove any sticky resins and thoroughly dry them to reduce the chances of corrosion. Sharpen all of your cutting tools and keep an eye out for any wear and tear on handles, cables, or mechanisms.

After that, replace any tools that are no longer usable and consider if you need to make any additions to your arsenal of gardening tools. Either research online or go into a store or garden centre with an open mind; you might end up discovering something that you never knew you needed.

So there you have it: the ultimate garden care guide for autumn and winter – we hope you found some of our tips and tricks useful. Happy gardening!