Expert Tips: Winter Gardening

Published: 11/12/2015

 Winter can bring various obstacles when it comes to gardening. The colder temperatures and damp weather can damage the progress that you have made throughout the warmer months, so you do have to make some adjustments to your usual gardening routine. We asked 4 bloggers for their “top tips” for protecting plants over the colder months, and how to care for your garden over winter in preparation for the following Spring.

Alexandra from The Middle Sized Garden says…

My top tips for winter gardening would be:

• Pull your pots close to the house. It's surprising how warm the wall of the house is. I have a geranium planted in a pot against the side of the house and it has survived 4 winters, two of which were very cold.

• Do your winter clearing little and often. Muscles are often stiffer in the winter, and nothing is growing so there is no hurry. Even if you do fifteen to thirty minutes a day each weekend, you'll make quite an impact.

• Leave untidy corners for wildlife to shelter in.

Fiona from Fiona Grows Food says…

My top tips for winter gardening would be:

• Invest in a decent pair of fingerless gloves and a flask (a drop of whiskey in your tea never goes awry) to keep those hands and your tummy warm.

• In addition to covering yourself up, cover up your soil. I can't stress this enough! If you spent the whole winter with no clothes on, you'd never heat up in spring (not to imagine the state your skin would be in) the same goes for your soil. Use heavy black canvas or Mypex, this will keep your soil warm, prevent the rains from washing away important nutrients and act as a weed suppressant.

• Plant garlic. It's always nice to be able to plant something, even in the depths of winter. Garlic needs the cold snap in winter to take off.

• Prune, prune, prune.

• Winter is also a great time to tidy up your garden and do all those little jobs you don't have time to do in the busy summer months. Fix your fencing, wash your pots and tools, repair your structures, clean your polytunnel, and tidy your shed. You will thank yourself come spring.

• Harvest your winter veggies; parsnips, winter cabbage, leeks, turnips and hardy perennial herbs are particularly good in December.

• Make stuffing with your sage, thyme and rosemary. Rub tummy appreciatively.

• And last but not least, don't end up hating the garden because you're out too often in the cold and rain. Don't let winter ruin your wonder. Know when it's time to go put the feet up in front of a fire.

Nick from Two Thirsty Gardeners says…

My top tips for winter gardening would be:

• Keep plants warm with bubble wrap. It's waterproof, warm, lets the light in and is easy to peg down. And if you've been ordering Christmas gifts online, you'll probably have some free.

• Apart from essential pruning duties we like to leave the garden alone over winter. Let the wildlife take advantage of what's left and put your feet up – you'll need all the energy you can muster when spring comes around

Image source: The Tofu Diaries

Sonya from Rock N Roll Mum says…

My top tips for winter gardening would be:

• Get your bulbs in for Spring now - luckily it has been mild so far so it's still not too late to plant daffodils, tulips and crocuses for some colour next year.

• Feed the birds, and don't forget they need water too. I love that our garden is so full of wildlife, and a helping hand from me now will be repaid in kind by them eating the plant munching bugs for me next summer!

Image source: The Tofu Diaries

Happy digging!! What are your top tips for looking after your garden in winter? Tell us on Twitter @TigerSheds #WinterGardening