How to Care for Your Garden in Winter

Spectacular flowers such as tulips, bluebells, and azaleas are breathtaking in the spring. Sadly, many people forget about the gorgeous array of colour our gardens can also display in winter. Striking blooms such snowdrops, daphne, and hellebores turn a grey and dreary day into a spray of cheeriness.

Generally, during the cooler months most plants experience a state of dormancy. Their growth tends to slow right down as they preserve their energy for a long cold winter.  Here are some great tips to nurture your garden while it’s hibernating, so it has the best chance for a fresh new start in spring.

Protection from Frost

Just like all living things, different plants prefer different climates. Some are unfazed by frost, and take it on as if it’s another day in the office. However, for plants that may fall victim to the early morning freeze, here’s how to protect them.

• Drape a sheet or shade cloth over the plant’s foliage.
• Treat the foliage with a biodegradable frost protection spray which coats the leaves with a polymer film.
• Shelter any potted plants under a veranda or patio.
• Avoid pruning damaged leaves. These provide protection until the risk of frost damage has reduced.

Watering

Maintaining your garden in winter, in most cases, can be easier than maintaining your garden in summer. Generous amounts of rainfall water your garden without you having to lift a finger! However, if your plants do require watering, water the base of the plant in the morning. This allows enough time for the plant and soil to dry before the chill of the night sets in. It also helps to lower the risk of fungal disease, which develops on foliage when it’s constantly damp.

Feeding

Plants don’t eat a lot in winter, they usually live off stored food until spring. However, you can give them a little snack to help get them through. Hearty winter food your plants will love is a fertiliser high in potassium. This will build your plant’s strength and cultivate its deep green leaves. Because most plants become sensitive in the course of winter, steer away from fertilisers high in nitrogen. Applying nitrogen softens the leaves and makes them more susceptible to disease.

If you need a helping hand in the garden, Simply Helping provides a range of gardening services. Whether your garden calls for weeding, watering, feeding, or planting, Simply Helping has you covered. Click here to find a Simply Helping location near you.