This is a collaborative post: When you opt for a property with a garden or a backyard, you are probably considering all the potential it has during the summer months. You are thinking about barbeques and garden parties, your children having water fights and sunbathing out on the lawn. But what about when winter comes around? How can you stop your garden from looking miserable and dead in the cold weather? If you play ahead, you can take the initiative and plant enough variety of flowers to make sure something is blooming all year round. But if you find that winter is fast approaching and you need some quick fixes, here are some tips on how to get your garden ready for winter.
Introduce some outdoor lighting
The days get shorter, and the nights get longer meaning that now more than ever you need to make sure there is plenty of light. Even if you do not plan on sitting outside, hanging beautiful lights makes your garden a magical sight to behold from the warmth of your living room. Check out connectable festoon string kit for high quality hanging lights that will turn your backyard into a winter wonderland.
Tidy things up
A lot of your flowers and plants will be looking a little miserable during cold weather and the lack of blooming buds will make it look less put together. There is nothing you can do about the natural course of the flowers blooming cycle, but you can make it look neater by keeping hedges trimmed, having neat beds and clearing about compost heaps that might build up.
Keep your lawn tidy too; a robotic lawn mower can assist you in keeping it short with minimal effort.
Lay a path
There will likely be a standard route that people take across the grassy areas and when the ground is wet, this can turn into a sludgy, muddy bog. If you do not already have one, lay a path with paving stones to prevent a muddy track from forming across your lawn during winter.
Add colour
Without the brightly coloured flowers that flourish in the spring, you will need to bring some colour in another way. Introduce brightly coloured flowerpots or garden furniture. Or bring in some winter flowers such as hellebores via window boxes or planters if you do not have the time to plant them in your garden and let them grow naturally.
Think about shrubs
Shrubs can add greenery to your garden, but they can also bring in a splash of colour. Cornus sanguinea is a shrub also known by the name “Midwinter Fire” and this gorgeous, red-stemmed shrub will brighten up your garden even in the coldest months. Another popular option for shrubbery is witch hazel as it has bright yellow, orange or pink flowers.
Watch the weather
Rain and frost can make garden paths treacherous so make sure you keep walkways clear of snow and maybe use sand or grit to melt ice and add some traction. Keep on top of any algae that starts to grow on your decking and it is advisable to bring garden furniture in during the winter to prevent them from getting grimy or rusty.