Tips To Prepare Your Garden For The Cold Season

As the ​summer​ passes quickly, it’s high time to start thinking about the next season and responsibilities linked to it. As much as we all love spending the sunny days in a beautiful, colourful ​garden​, sipping an iced drink, and working on our tan, a backyard is a place that needs a lot of effort from your part to make it through the winter in good condition.

A properly maintained garden can indeed be a place to enjoy and be proud of. If you want to admire the view of blooming plants and lush greenery every summer, you have to take proper care of them during the warmer months and make sure they are safe when it gets cold. Below, you can find some essential tips on how to make your garden ready for the winter.

Clean Your Pond

Let’s begin with what’s the hardest to reach. It’s better if you start cleaning the pond before the temperature goes down to 50°F (10°C), and there are two reasons for that: fish will still be active and less likely to get injured during the cleaning process, and bacteria that process pond waste dies once the temperature reaches 50°F (10°C).

If you own a pond with no livestock, there is no such a burning need for the right equipment,though it’s highly recommended. However, if you have fish, it is worth at least considering a solar pond aerator​. Aeration has many benefits, such as enhancing fish habitats, reducing algae, significantly improving the quality of water, removing foul odors from the pond, and even breaking down harmful bacteria. And why this model? Solar technology quickly pays off and will never fail due to a lack of electricity, but there are different types of aerators, too.

Clean Up Wilted Flowers

Getting rid of rotten, wilted flowers is not only a matter of esthetics but also safety. Except for the fact that they simply look unappealing, they can also lead to pests, diseases, and fungi.During the summer, some insects leave eggs on plants’ stalks or leaves. Once you remove them from the soil, you can prevent pests from coming back during the spring.

The right way to get rid of such wilted flowers is to bury them in your garden (once you make sure they have no disease), as they constitute a healthy portion of an organic matter and improve the soil quality in your garden.

Prepare A Coverage For Sensitive Plants

Some flower species require bundling up in order to ​survive cold seasons​. The most common among them are, for example, roses, which are beautiful but hard to maintain if you don’t provide the proper care.

According to ​nationaltrust.org​ and Fran Llewellyn, gardener at Bodnant Garden, ‘BodnantGarden has two rose terraces filled with the famous David Austin New English Roses. In November, we cut back stems by a third to prevent wind rock over the winter; then, in January or February, they are winter pruned. It involves cutting back the plant to about half to create an even, rounded shape, and removing any dead, damaged or diseased stems.’

Pick Up Fallen Leaves

Fallen leaves do not look good and can actually be quite dangerous – once they are wet,they become very slippery. Why would you risk such an accident?

Moreover, you can make use of them and help our Mother Nature a bit. ‘Once you’ve raked up your leaves, don’t throw them away. Leaf matter can be composted before being used back on your borders,’ says Juliet Turner, a gardener in charge at Godolphin. You can also use them as mulch to cover the soil surface, prevent weeds, and retain moisture.

Mulch Your Perennials

According to ​bhg.com​, ‘Perennials return year after year, as long as they are hardy in your area. Each species handles cold differently, so it is ​helpful to know which hardiness Zones​ a particular plant is rated for and which Zone you live in. In general, perennials that are hardy in your area won’t require much effort to prepare them for winter. In regions that experience a lot of freezing and thawing, frost heaving can cause plants to get pushed out of the ground.’

That is why mulching perennials is essential for them to survive, which could even contribute to the soil temperature, especially if there is no regular snowy surface there.

Hide Your Garden Furniture

Living plants are indeed much more important than furniture; however, furniture also needs special care in order to survive the winter season. If you have enough space to store it, you should do that, as cold temperatures and moisture may cause severe damage to your appliances. If not, take some old sheets and wrap them around – that can keep them safe.

The Bottom Line

Preparing your garden for the cold season is essential to keep all the greenery in good condition for the whole year. Many flower species demand specific care to make it through the winter. Unexpected temperature fluctuations caused by global warming is undoubtedly not making it easier for the plants. That’s why your garden needs you.

Hopefully, the tips listed above will help you maintain your garden in good condition until the next warm season, so you can go out to the backyard and enjoy it again. And in the meantime, enjoy the colors of the fall.

*collaborative post

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