Preparing your Garden for Winter

In the wake of ‘El Nino’, weather forecasters are predicting a winter so harsh they’re dubbing it the ‘big freeze’, so it’s important to continue gardening now to protect your plot. Here at Weir and Carmichael we’ve rustled up some top tips on how to prepare your garden for the cold snap. · Prune your hedges – Giving your hedges a light pruning now will prevent decay should any damp start to settle in over the winter months. · Plant for spring – Planting bulbs and bedding plants in October will guarantee that your flower beds will be bursting with colour come springtime. · Compost clear out – Now’s the time to disperse last years compost onto your flower beds. After replanting your bulbs you’ll have mounds of garden waste to dispose of, but do not panic as this nutrient rich waste can be recycled and used to fill up the compost bin you’ve just emptied. · Make your mulch –Mulch helps to maintain moisture and improves soil fertility, and it’s really easy to make. Rake up any fallen leaves, store them in an aerated place to dry out, one of our breathable hessian sacks will do just the trick. Once they have dried out, shred the leaves either by hand or with a leaf shredder and cover any exposed soil. It’s organic, full of nutrients and best of all its free! · Pamper your lawn – Covering your lawn with an autumn fertilizer just before the cold sets in will help to keep those ugly bare patches at bay. · Wrap up Warm – Blanketing your hydrangeas and other delicate shrubs with a hessian cloth will act a wind barrier as well as protecting them from the frost. Our Jute fabric provides perfect coverage, its durable, hardwearing and its 100% natural. · Clean your tools – Just one last tip, once you’ve done all your mulching, composting and wrapping all that’s left to do is to give your tools a good scrub. However if you really want to go that extra mile, coat your tools in a thin layer of oil – it stops the rust getting to them. That’s it you’re done, set your mind at ease and rest assure your garden will be safe from ‘El Nino’ and whatever else our British winter has to offer.

For more information on Preparing your Garden for Winter talk to Weir & Carmichael Ltd