There’s just enough decent weather left to do your last bit of gardening and get ready to put your garden to bed for winter. If you spend the last days of autumn sprucing up your garden, you’ll also have pretty views from when you’re cosy inside when the cold weather arrives. If you put in a little work now, your garden will thrive come spring as well. It’s worth making the most of a last couple of days outside and getting those green thumbs busy. Here are ten jobs you should be doing to get your garden ready for winter.
Mindful decluttering
It’s just as important to give your garden a mindful decluttering as it is your home. There are few quick things to do to declutter your garden for winter. Put away your garden toys and cover any patio furniture that needs protecting. Clear up any debris and leaves. You should also take this time to throw away any old or broken plant pots, tools, or other ornaments. Clear yourself some space for when you’re back in the garden in spring, it can be very therapeutic.
Make the beds for winter
Any experienced gardeners will know that you need to prepare flowerbeds for winter. Start by removing all your annual flowers such as petunias, marigolds, and impatiens. These will end up sprouting weeds come spring otherwise. Prune your perennials as well, these might last over winter, which is fine. Neaten up your beds with an edging tool and add mulch or fertiliser. The autumn is a good time of year to do it.
Hide those bins
Consider tidying up a bit by hiding your wheelie bins away. You could invest in some cheap wooden bin stores that will keep your bins out of sight all year round. Cover the compost as well. If you like you could even use old wooden pallets. This should also prevent any rubbish being blown around or dragged everywhere by animals. Get any garden rubbish collected by the local authority after a garden clearout as well. This will then be taken to a recycling plant and turned into compost.
Clean your patio
Quickly give your patio and path a last clean. It will have collected debris and been stained during the summer and autumn. You can remove stubborn stains with a pressure washer, if not you can simply scrub it with some washing liquid and a brush. It’s unlikely you’ll be doing much tidying in the garden once the cool weather arrives, so it’s better to give your patio a final sprucing up now.
A quick lick of paint
A quick lick of paint is a simple way to spruce up your home’s exterior. Check for anything in the garden that needs a bit of TLC, whether it’s your shed, gate, or fence. If you paint and protect these now, they’ll last better throughout the winter months. Inspect your garden and home’s exterior for any necessary repairs as well. Autumn is a good time fo year for a final checkup.
Upcycled accessories
If you’re getting rid of any old garden accessories during your winter decluttering you could consider repurposing them. There are plenty of upcycled garden ideas online if you’re looking for a craft project. You could even make Christmas decorations from twigs, leaves, and branches. It all depends on how creative you wanna be. There are also plenty of ways you can decorate your garden using repurposed furniture, it’s a thrifty and satisfying project. If you own a fire pit then it may need a little bit of upcycling before using again. Don’t forget to stock up on firewood and mulch near Philadelphia too.
Energy-efficient lighting
If you want to set up lighting in your garden for the darker winter months why not upgrade to something more energy-efficient? You could use motion sensor LEDs or even solar power to light up your garden. This will save you a lot of money on your electricity bill as well.
Winter wildlife
If you would like to help wildlife in winter, then there are a few things you can do. Some animals such as hedgehogs, for example, will be getting ready to hibernate. Set up a pile of leaves and twigs, or better yet, DIY your own hedgehog hotel. You can construct one of these out of old wooden pallets or boxes, depending on your carpentry talents. It’s a fun project to get the kids involved with if you have a spare afternoon before the cold arrives. If you have a pond, take care that it doesn’t completely freeze over. If it does you could pour a little warm water in it.
There will be birds passing through in winter as well so you could set up a bird feeder or bird table. Clear out any birdboxes of old nests and debris, in case birds want to hibernate in there. Put out a bit of food and a water supply anyway. If you like bird watching, then winter birds will be more likely to pay your garden a visit.
A final weeding
It’s time to do a final weeding as part of your autumn garden clearout. Get rid of any weeds and put weed barriers in place during winter if necessary. If you prefer, there are plenty of environmentally-friendly options you can use without resorting to weed-killers.
Plant spring bulbs
If you want your garden to really flourish in spring, then there are few things you should get planting now. The soil is still just about warm enough to allow your spring bulbs to develop strong roots. Plant bulbs such as daffodils, crocuses, and tulips in your borders or even in a meadow-type display on your lawn. Here is a list of the best spring-flowering bulbs to plant in autumn. It’s up to you if you’d rather organise them into sections or allow them to grow more haphazardly, creating a more wild effect.
However you choose to plan your garden, it’ll certainly be full of colour come spring. Autumn gardening is mainly about a final clearout and a tidying up. That way your spring plants will have a healthier environment to thrive in after the winter.
