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How To Prepare Your Garden For Winter

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As the days become shorter and the weather cooler, you know winter is not far away. Your thoughts will turn to what you need to do to prepare your garden for winter.

General Gardening Tasks

Weeding is a never-ending job. It is important to remove as many as possible before winter, otherwise you will have rampant weed growth in spring. Many weeds respond better to weed-killer applications now than at other times of the year.

Putting down a thick layer of mulch will suppress weeds and protects the roots of plants. Much of the mulch layer protection comes from providing more even temperatures that make sure roots are not stressed from an on-going cycle of freezing and thawing. It is best to wait until the ground is getting colder to do this in order to discourage any mice from making their winter homes in the mulch.

Autumn is the ideal time to plant new shrubs and trees. Autumn and winter allow strong root growth to develop. The new plantings should be well established before the hot dry days on summer arrive.

As the leaves fall put them on your compost pile as they convert to great organic matter.

Any potted houseplants which have been outdoors will need to be moved back inside. This process should be done in a two-step process to order to protect them from climate shock. Give them a few days is a shed or garage before bringing them into the house.

If your area is susceptible to heavy frosts make sure you disconnect any garden hoses. This is to make sure fittings do not split due to frozen water.

Grass will have a head-start in spring if work is done to remove weeds such as dock. An application of a specialised lawn fertiliser now will also lead to lusher growth in the new growing season.

Flower Garden

If any plants are looking unhealthy or diseased this is an ideal time to dispose of them. Put these plants in the rubbish rather than putting them on the compost pile.

This is also the time to plant out any bulbs. Most bulbs need the winter chill so that they flower as expected the following spring.

Winter annuals can be planted before the soil temperature gets too cold. If you are well prepared then you can plant out seeds. However, the potted seedlings will probably have a better success rate. Good flowers for winter colour are pansies and stock.

It is good to cut perennials back, but do not do this before the plant heads into its winter dormancy. The plant needs to transfer energy through to its roots for the winter lay-over and if cut back too early, this won’t be able to happen.

Vegetable Garden

The vegetable garden becomes a lot less busy over winter. Pull out any old plants before winter so any eggs laid by insect pests don’t hitch a ride through to spring. This old plant matter can be worked directly back into the soil to improve the soil condition.

If you have winter crops planted such as parsnips, broccoli or leeks, they will benefit from staying in the ground. The winter temperatures convert natural sugars in these plants making them tastier.

Attached Images:
  •  License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://photodune.net/licenses/photo
  •  License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://photodune.net/licenses/photo

These tips were brought to you by Luis Simmons and Rhodium (rh-45.com) – Luis is a property blogger from London and loves to share is home improvement and interior design ideas.






How to Enjoy Your Garden in the Winter

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With the winter approaching, the bitter cold and darkening nights may see you spending more time indoors, neglecting your garden until the spring comes around again. But it doesn’t have to be that way! There are plenty of ways to enjoy your garden in the winter, so chuck on your boots, don your woolly hat, and venture out into the cold to enjoy a few of these enchanting treats…

Stargazing


There’s no better time than the crisp, clear nights of winter to gaze up to the sky and take in its breath-taking beauty. The Milky Way will sparkle brightly, the moon will beam more than you’ve ever known, and if you gaze for long enough you’re sure to see a shooting star or two. Wrap your arms around a loved one or your hands around a mug of hot cocoa while you gaze, mesmerised by what the night sky has to offer.

Bonfires & Fireworks

There’s no cosy a feeling as standing around a roaring bonfire with your close friends and family, sharing jokes and reminiscing over good times. Make a night of it and get a little merry, procure a folding table to rest your drinks upon, toast a few marshmallows on the fire, and finish the night off with a spectacular fireworks display.

Festive Decorations

The long nights can make your garden seem an unappealing, hard place. The flowers wither, the trees lose their leaves and the animals go into hibernation – but that doesn’t mean your garden can’t be a place of joy. Breathe life back into it with some seasonal decorations, string up a row of fairy lights and be filled with merriment every time you glance outside.

Year-Round Decorations

It’s not just festive decorations that can liven up your garden during the cold, winter months. Incorporate ornaments and evergreens into the landscape of your garden so that when the autumn begins its slow march into winter, your garden will remain vibrant and appealing. Build rock walls and paths, and place boulders and sculptures throughout to add a charm that lasts throughout the year.

Snow!

Everybody hopes for snow come winter, and our wishes usually come true, even if only briefly. As soon as the first flakes start to fall, put on your wellies and your winter coat, and prepare for some jovial frolicking! Build snowmen and snow-dogs, and snow-whatever-elses-you-fancy. Start a snowball fight with the mischievous neighbours, and when you’re tired out from that, collapse to the ground and carve out some snow angels!

As you can see, there are plenty of ways to enjoy your garden in the winter – and these are only a smattering of possibilities! Use your imagination and you’re sure to come up with countless excuses to get out the house, instead of whiling away your days in front of the television, waiting for the sun to return.

Bill Weston writes on a number of subjects including gardening furniture such as folding tables. You can find a folding table at http://www.gopak.co.uk/

Easy, Affordable, and Eco-Friendly Tips for Lawn Maintenance

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A healthy, luscious, and vibrant green lawn is very appealing for many homeowners. A green and healthy yard will not only enhance the aesthetic appeal of the property, but it can also increase its value if you ever think about selling your property in the future. Unfortunately, a green garden doesn’t always guarantee a healthy and safe environment. Your lawn may look healthy and vibrant, but it can still cause harm towards the environment. The best solution to this dilemma is to take care of your lawn the natural way.

Green gardening is a practice that improves the health and look of your lawn without emitting dangerous chemicals and other toxic gases into the environment. Doing so will help you save time, money, and help you conserve natural resources. The following are easy green gardening tips for lawn maintenance.

Alternative Natural Ground Covers

There are a lot of available ground covers aside from grass. You can use a few of these alternative ground covers, including clover, mosses, juniper, and periwinkle. If you want to lower your lawn maintenance cost and still be eco-friendly, you can use low-mow grass species or ornamental grasses. These native grass species do not need constant maintenance and can grow even without human intervention. Additionally, it still offers the same benefits of living plants, such as prevent soil erosion, absorb air pollution, and filter rainwater pollution.

Conserve Water

If you want to focus on eco-friendly landscaping, you must pay close attention to conserving your water. There are a lot of lawns that are over-watered. This will waste valuable and finite resource, and it will contribute to fertilizer runoff. This happens when the fertilizer from your garden spills over into the storm sewers, which will eventually add to the water pollution. Here are some tips to conserve the amount of water used in your lawn:

  • Spot signs of over-watering: You must check if you are over-watering your lawn. Some of the signs to look out for include: runoff after watering the lawn; pale green or yellow tint on the lawn grass; and there are moss or mushrooms growing around the area. If you spot any of these signs, make sure to cut down the frequency with which you water your lawn.
  • Avoid watering everyday: If you water your lawn infrequently, it will not only help reduce water consumption, but it can also make your grass healthier. If you avoid watering your grass often, the roots will seek water deep into the soil, and the shorter weeds will run out of water. The downside of watering too frequently is that it can lead to thatch buildup, or the dense layer of living and dead stems and roots. Thatch can prevent the grass from getting their much needed water and air.
  • Water your lawn early in the day. It is best to water your lawn between 4 am and 9 am. During this time of the day, the air is cool and the wind is very calm; thus, the water won’t evaporate easily. Additionally, consider getting a rain sensor. This device will immediately turn off your sprinklers when it is raining; hence, you won’t need to waste water.

Reduce Energy

Lawn maintenance can easily pollute the environment by increasing carbon footprint and toxic gas emission. For this reason, you have to consider using eco-friendly methods that are healthier for the environment, and are much more budget-friendly.

  • Avoid using gas- or battery-powered lawnmowers: Gas-powered lawn mowers can produce nearly as much pollution as driving a motor vehicle for 100 miles. According to studies, this type of lawnmower is responsible for 5% of the total air pollution across the country. Even battery-powered motors and electric lawn mowers leave huge carbon footprint. Thankfully, there are alternative types of lawnmowers, such as reel lawnmower which is much more affordable and easy to use.
  • Use a manual mower, rakes, and brooms: Instead of using electric and gas-powered lawnmowers and leaf blowers, get a physical work-out using manual labor. You can use traditional rakes and brooms to get rid of fallen leaves. It is also a good idea to leave the grass clippings on the lawn since it can still fertilize the soil.
Citations:
  • Gregs Landscaping.”bluestone walkway with belgium block “. Online Image. EveryStockPhoto. Nov 20, 2012
Attached Images:
  •  License: Creative Commons image source

The author, Kris Lim, is an avid gardener who offers tips and ideas for beginners on how to maintain the lawn. She also contributes her thoughts and ideas to lawn care and maintenance companies and websites, including newleafmaintenance.com.

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