Preparing & Tidying Your Garden for Autumn & Winter

The leaves are falling nearly as fast as the temperature, the clouds are staring to gather and your garden needs tidying before winter sets in. It’s important to get your garden sorted in time because you won’t want to do it in the freezing cold and it’ll end up being an eyesore until spring rolls around again. From harvesting your plants to storage for your tools, there is plenty for you to prepare and do to keep yourself busy, all of which will prepare your garden for the frost and snow.

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Harvesting

Early autumn is the perfect time to harvest the fruits of your labour, gathering all of the ready to eat fruit and veg in your garden. Nothing quite beats some homemade seasonal food to get you ready for the season ahead. It’s also time to harvest the seed-heads from existing plants and storing them in an airtight container, getting them ready for planting in spring. Alternatively, if you’re not planning on replanting them, you can leave the seed-heads to attract birds into your garden.

If you have a vegetable patch, now would also be the time to cover it with a generous helping of manure to protect the plants, suppress weeds and add vital nutrients through the colder months.

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Pruning & Removing

As well as harvesting your growth, it is also important to make sure that none of your plants have to work harder than necessary. All of your plant’s energy should be focused into their roots rather than supporting spindly little stems. To ensure that your plants don’t confuse their focus you should give them a good prune to minimise energy wastage. Removing annual plants will also maximise the nutrients available in your soil for your other greenery.

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Storing Furniture, Tools & Play Sets

As well as your plants, you also need to take care of any garden furniture, tools and play equipment as these can get damaged by the weather. Properly storing them in a plastic storage box will keep them fresh for when spring comes round. A tool shed would be a better option for your gardening equipment, keeping them dry and organised for when you next need them. You’ll notice how much of a difference they make to the way your garden looks, limiting the amount of clutter on display.

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Lawn Care

Most people think there isn’t anything to do for your lawn in the colder months, this is semi true but you still need to get it prepared for winter during autumn. Don’t worry, you won’t be continuing your weekly lawn mowing routine, instead you’ll want to rake it weekly, removing fallen leaves and thatched grass that you can add to your compost pile.

With a fork you should aerate the grass by sticking it into the ground at regular intervals, allowing nutrients to be easier for the grass to access. Once this is done, give your grass a brush over with some lawn feed and it’ll be ready for its winter hibernation.

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