Prepare Your Gardens for Winter and Capture Its Beauty

Oddly there is something about winter that makes it a great period to enjoy and capture the beauty & serenity of your garden. It is also a time to winterise your garden, catch up on things that need to be done to prepare your little paradise for the cold months and perhaps, redesign the area to give some brightness and cheer during shorter days, I wrote a little post about on keeping it looking it's best this time of year so do check it out. Here are some tips to keep your garden fresh so that you can still enjoy its splendour when you are outdoors or looking from the inside of your home.

Do the Basics
Summer does not leave you much time for gardening. After all, enjoying good weather and staying outdoors are far more important than weeding or pruning. Besides, all the plants, shrubs and trees in your garden seem to be doing fine by themselves blooming and growing tall. But it is now time to give your backyard some attention and protect your vegetation. Water the garden thoroughly before the big frost sets in, clean, prune, fertilize and mulch to make sure that plants are shielded from the cold.

Clean

Making our garden as bird-friendly as possible is really important to us, you may have come across a few DIY bird table crafts on here I have shared over the years and we have been adding a few things to our garden to attract birds. I would love to add a large or small outdoor fountains as not only are they fantastic garden centrepieces but also make great bird baths as well as making your garden beautiful and a relaxing place whatever the season. The sound of water is soothing and studies show that it calms inner thoughts. “Being near, in, on or under water can make you happier, healthier and more connected,’ according to Nichol’s Blue Mind book. With anything like this though some maintenance is needed so in winter do not forget to clean your fountains and birdbaths so they remain sparkly.



Encourage more Wildlife

While making our garden as bird friendly as possible is really important, it can prove difficult to attract birds depending on the time of the year. We like to encourage as much wildlife as possible and this is where we need the right food. Finding the right sort of foods can be difficult to find and this is where companies like Little Peckers can provide a whole manner of third feed. It’s also important to give wild birds and animals a place to perch, like a bird box. Do not forget to check the bird box as much as possible so it is clean and habitable for any passing bird.
Decorate

Spruce up your garden with lights around the fountain or the birdbath. For the holidays, you might want to add some décor around pathways or put some sturdy benches in the garden. Winter is not always drab and there are breaks in the weather. Hence, it is a good idea to have a place to sit outdoors that is meant to withstand the wintry weather.

Plant

The coming of winter does not mean that you stop enjoying your garden. Add colour to it by planting colourful shrubs and flowers. Bulbs such as winter drops and crocuses are going to come out even when there is a snow cover. Otherwise, pansies and violas are gorgeous and will brighten up the place. There are also shrubs and plants that stay green throughout the winter so if you have honeysuckle and winter hazel in your garden, you are going to love their colour and fragrant blooms. If you cannot have a garden with flowers outdoors, you can also grow some bulbs indoors such as amaryllises, hyacinths and narcissus.

The changing of seasons is always a fascinating time and the transition from autumn to winter is no exception. By preparing, protecting and decorating your garden, you are going to have a lovely winter and enjoy being indoors & outdoors.