Keeping your garden picture perfect all year round is hard work. It always looks easier than it actually is, and when we get toward the colder seasons, it becomes less possible to maintain, until it’s forgotten entirely. Everyone wants that picturesque back garden to show off with pride and be able to host all the parties, so here are some tips to keep your garden maintained all year, even during the winter period in time for the warmer months.
Stay On Top Of Leaves
If your garden is overseen by trees, or if fallen leaves just happen to pass into your garden during autumn, it’s important not to let the leaves cover your lawn for too long. Too many piles of leaves can sometimes prevent the lawn from growing properly and can cause fungus to grow in place, so make sure you take care of this as soon as possible.
Not Too Long, Not Too Short
When Winter is coming (For any Game of Thrones fans out there) dealing with lawns can be finicky, as it’s never guaranteed when you’ll next be able to mow during the colder season. It’s important to do a final trim just before the winter. Typically your lawn won’t grow too much in winter, but it’s also important that you don’t cut it too short, or it just won’t survive the cold.
Cover Up!
Keeping your garden furniture safe and any other appliances such as BBQs, is important all year round, but especially so in the colder and wetter months. If you have a shed, it’s best to store them in there until the spring. If this isn’t possible, there are water proof covers you can purchase to protect them from rain, sleet or snow. Cushions should be put away too, but if not possible again, you can use water proof bags instead.
Feed in Moderation
Making sure your plants are watered is important, but it’s also vital not to overfeed. Keeping track of the weather forecasts can help, as if it’s looking like quite a rainy week, you may not need to water as much, and vice versa. It’s also good practice to get into, to water either early in the morning, or later in the evening, as these times are typically the coolest, and will reduce the chance of the water evaporating too fast. If you’re watering plants in pots, make sure that the pots are being drained. If you’re not using pots with holes, you can make some holes, or repot the plants into pots that do have drainage holes, as you don’t want the soil to become too moist. Watering the lawn is also essential if you want to keep a healthy green turf, but it’s advised to use sprinklers or watering cans. Using a hose can damage your lawn, especially if you’re inadvertently watering some areas more than others. You want the pressure to be quite light.
Beware of Pests
Keeping your plants from being damaged by pests is harder than once might assume, but it’s important to stay on top of it from the get to, to avoid a larger infestation. You can purchase counter measures yourself from garden stores and some supermarkets, however it’s also a good idea to shop around for local businesses that provide pest control near you. It can save you a lot of hassle if you’re too busy to address it, and if it does become too unmanageable, a pest control service would know best how to eliminate the threats completely so you can start over.
De-weed to Succeed
This is typically the job that most people dislike, but is also one of the most important. If left unattended, weeds can be a tough day for anyone, so it’s essential that this is kept under control and monitored. Thankfully, if kept manageable, removing weeds is fairly straightforward. Weedkiller sprays and Gels are very useful. Just remember, when deweeding, always go for the roots. Dig them out if necessary with your hands and pull them out, root included, to stop them from growing again. You’ll need to do this for the majority of the year, and often, for best results, although typically you’ll need to do a lot less (if any) in the cold weather. Again, as this is a year long job and can become quite tough if not done often, it may help to hire a gardener. They will likely be able to complete it a lot quicker than you, and can recommend ways to maintain it if you’d like to learn to do it yourself.
