Giving your garden some TLC

25 Nov 2020 02:17
Published by:

As autumn continues and winter approaches, our gardens may be starting to suffer from less tender loving care than during the summer months.

Fear not, here are some great tips to keep your garden looking lush this autumn.

 

Time for a tidy up

Now is the perfect time to tidy up the garden and prepare it for the colder weather, while also giving the lawn, plants and soil a head start for spring.

Start by raking away dead grass and leaves from the lawn so that a thick blanket isn’t created, blocking out any sunlight or air as this can damage the grass underneath and create bare patches on the lawn, requiring reseeding or resodding in the spring.

Keep your borders clear too, as too many dead leaves can encourage snails and slugs to gather, and in turn can begin to rot many of the plants in your borders.

Also consider pulling up any annual plants that have had their time, and replant with varieties that will start to flower in spring, such as wallflowers or pansies. Next, trim the edges of your borders to finish tidying them.

 

Don’t forget wildlife

While you may not be in the garden as much over the autumn months, don’t forget about any wildlife that may still be visiting your garden.

Leave out seeds, nuts and water for birds to enjoy, which can also be lifesaving during winter when food can be much scarcer.

You could also try creating bug homes and leaving out suitable leftovers for wildlife you want to encourage to visit your outdoor space.

 

Take care of the lawn

Give your lawn a good cut before the cold and wet weather really begins to set in. When mowing in autumn, consider raising the mower blades a little, as slightly longer grass copes better with cooler conditions.

Also, be sure to keep the mower blades sharp, as a clean cut to a blade of grass will help it heal quicker and prevent disease spores from infecting the grass.

 

Protect your plants

Autumn is the perfect time to start prepping your plants for winter and making sure they are protected from water logging and the cold. If you have plants that are more susceptible to the cold weather, be sure to store then in the greenhouse or even a conservatory.

For those planted in the garden, try covering them with fleece or hessian to keep their temperature up. The first frost of the year can arrive during the coming months without warning and kill off your favourite plants, so be sure to get prepared now to keep your plants healthy and safe.

You may be interested in