Caring for Your Garden in Winter
It never fails to surprise me how quickly a garden can looked so forlorn and neglected even into the first couple of months into a winter... I know ours does already. Still, there are things you can do during the winter months to prevent the winter season from undoing the hard work you've put into your garden during the rest of the year.
Garden furniture tends to get a little neglected during the rest of the year as we tend to use and enjoy them; such as seats, swing-chairs and tables. If they are metal, then use the winter months to check for peeling paint and rust trying to peek through. A good rubbing down with emery or sand paper should be followed up with a good rust treatment. If possible, follow this up with the good quality metal paint, and if possible, try to keep dry for as long as possible.
Wooden fences, furniture, trellises, garden sheds, gates and so on really deserve being treated with wood preservers at the first available opportunity. You'd be surprised how much damage water can do once it gets into the wood fibres. You might not always see damage until it's just too late.
How about ponds and water features? I really do suggest that if you aren't using your fountain, then drain your pond if you can and wrap your pump in some frost resistant material and then the whole thing in a water-proof plastic bag.
I know that cold winter days aren't exactly the best days for doing such maintenance work around the garden, but if you want your garden to survive the harsh treatment of the winter. More importantly save yourself money from repair bills, then work you put in now could save you a lot more later on in the spring... and even save you money.
If like me you get bored during that period between Christmas and the New Year... you now know what you could be getting on with to work off that extra helping of cake!
