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Winter is quickly approaching, that doesn't mean that all your hard to work has to go to waste, don't let it beat your garden. Keep yours in tip top shape by following these winter gardening tips.

Clean up

For your winter preparation, the first thing to do is remove any weeds and any diseased leaves should be removed from trees and shrubs.

Cut back any perennials in preparation for spring, these should be cut to around 6 to 8 inches above ground.

As winter approaches any annuals need to be dug up and put on the compost heap, as they will be soon past their best.

The Lawn

Fertilise the lawn in preparation for the winter weather. Fertiliser will help your lawn to battle the cold and frost. Using a fertiliser without a herbicide in it, is preferred for winter care and one with nitrogen and slow release is a good choice.

Your lawn will also benefit from the removal of autumn leaves as a build-up of these can smother the lawn. Smothering can create disease conditions and invite insects and other unwanted pests to your garden.

Only mow the lawn if necessary, depending on conditions and temperatures. Do not mow if the lawn is very wet or bad frost is expected.

Winter Mulch

Mulching over the winter protects plants from the drastic temperature changes that winter brings, as it insulates them against the cold. Mulching is best done after the first frost.

Mulch can be made from dried leaves, pine needles, shredded bark. This will provide a good layer of protection. 4 to 6 inches of mulch will be enough.

Mulch can also be used on plants in containers, perfect if you don't have room for them indoors. Cover the soil with a large amount of mulch and wrap the container in bubble-wrap!

Cleaning and storing tools and furniture

Winter is the time to give your tools some TLC. Give your tools a good clean and sharpen and oil if necessary. Store them in a cool dry place during the winter. Garden furniture should also be stored undercover during the winter weather. A weatherproof garden shed is the perfect place to store your gardening items and furniture during the winter, as they will protect your items from the elements. A range of weatherproof metal garden sheds are available from Asgard, just what you need to see you through the winter months.

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With the summer months receding into distant memory, now is the time for the astute gardener to turn her thoughts to the harsher winter months and prepare her garden accordingly. Forethought and action now can help your prized plot emerge from the wintry depths in a better condition than would otherwise be the case.

Lawns

A lawn can make or break the look of a garden, and proper pre-winter care is essential if it is to be at its best during the forthcoming year. In late autumn, give it its final mowing, making sure that the mower is set to its maximum cutting height. Also, keep raking off any leaves and debris that fall onto it from surrounding trees so that they don´t shade the grass, thereby excluding air, encouraging disease and inhibiting growth. Now is also the time to scarify the lawn with a spring-tined rake to remove dead grass, moss and other detritus, all obstacles to a healthy lawn. Then, the lawn should be aerated with a garden fork or a rotary aerator. This alleviates the soil compaction that has occurred during the year. The lawn will probably have sustained some damage after the wear and tear of the summer, so sow seed on any bare patches that have emerged, and make good any other repairs to edges and so on. Finally, a top-dressing should be applied to feed the grass and promote growth.

Flowerbeds and borders

In the flowerbeds, all the annuals, which will be dead or dying but certainly well past their best, should be dug up and put on the compost heap, while perennials should be cut back and, if required, divided to give more plants, which should then be planted in situ, or overwintered in a greenhouse. If you have any shrubs that you want to move, do it now, as it allows them time to get firmly anchored before the growing season. However, be sure to stake them, as they may need extra support while settling in. Soil loses a lot of nutrients during the summer, so dig in compost or fertilizer ahead of the next growing period. Roses should be dead-headed and cut back, so long as they are not winter-flowering, and trees and shrubs should be inspected for damage and disease, which can then be cut out. Any plants that have spent the summer outside in pots should now be returned to the confines of the house or the greenhouse before the first frosts.

Ponds

If you have a pond, cover it with some netting, which will prevent leaves etc. falling in and polluting the water. A good idea, if you have fish, is to float a small ball on the surface, so should it freeze over, you only have to lift the ball up to provide a ready-made hole for to allow the fish to breathe.

Building maintenance

Inspect walls and any other garden buildings, such as greenhouses and sheds, for wear and tear. Any weaknesses should be attended to before the inclement weather makes them worse and more costly to repair.

Garden furniture

If possible, garden furniture should be stored away somewhere safe and dry. However, if that is not possible, ensure that it is protected with weather-proof covers. And don´t forget that winter winds can be particularly harsh, so be sure that everything is weighted or tied down.

Tools

Finally, when all the jobs have been completed, it's time to turn your attention to your tools. They work hard and deserve to be treated with care, so clean and oil them well, and let them enjoy a well-deserved winter's rest in a nice, dry shed or garage.

Much of gardening in winter is the tidy up and then the prepartaion for a closed season. However there are of course things you can do for future growth, for example the drying out and storage of seeds or, as may people try, the winter treatment of seeds. Putting them into flats and then putting them outside over winter to see them germinate in spring. If you need ideas, get online and get inspired!

Graeme is writing on behalf of vegetable seeds supplier Kings Seeds

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A lot of gardeners wonder how they can care for their more delicate plants throughout the winter months. Keeping your plants in good health over the winter requires a special set of skills. Your gardening practices must change with the seasons for optimal results.

In general plants are fairly well adapted in protecting themselves against the weather changes that come with the seasons. However as a gardener you can undergo certain actions to help out your plants with seasonal changes. This article will outline some of these actions and give you advice on how to keep your garden ticking in winter.

One thing is for certain; your garden is not going to keep its summer beauty throughout winter. Trying to retain this is a futile task and a waste of your time. However it can still be slightly and appealing to the eye. You just need to be smart with how you maintain the garden over the colder months.

Actions you should follow:

• Continue planting throughout winter with appropriate plants. However do not force plants into an unnatural habitat. In other words only plant when the ground is soft enough to dig up naturally.

• Add some mulch from your autumn decay to the soil. This will help protect roots from the colder weather.

• Add a small amount of compost so that nutrients are not lost over the winter months

• If there is an anticipated big freeze then water your plants before this happens. What this will do is provide the plants with water before all accessible water in the ground is frozen. It will also give the roots some extra protection against frost damage.

• Protect your potted plants with heat retaining material. You can purchase special material to place over the base of potted plants to help them retain heat. Doing this in conjunction to moving the plants closer to your house should help their winter health.

Actions you should avoid:

• Avoid using fertilizer during the winter months as this will confuse plants. Fertilizer encourages flowering and new growth. However during winter plants want to be in a dormant state and just survive through the cold.

• Don't over water your plants. Keeping plants with a healthy amount of water is fine, but plants generally require a lot less over winter.

Overall winter gardening is mainly common sense, following the advice in this article will see your garden come through winter in top condition. For keen gardeners who want to see their garden thrive in all seasons attentive care is necessary.

If you are looking for winter maintenance equipment such as salt spreaders or grit salt then check out SGM who are leading suppliers of year round groundcare equipment.

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