Winter gardening is a great way to stay connected with nature, even during the colder months.
While growth slows down in many regions, there are still plenty of tasks to maintain and prepare your garden for the coming seasons.
Steven Walley, garden landscaper and paving expert from London Stone, said that winter’s dormant period provides ideal conditions for garden planning, listing six jobs that are particularly good to do now.
Assessing garden layout
Mr Walley said: “During winter, many trees are without their leaves, so it can be easier to view your garden layout and make decisions on where you would like to open up more space or perhaps where you’d like to create more privacy.”
Structural changes
He continued: “Winter is the best time to consider creating new steps, paths, patios or flower beds in your garden.”
The expert noted that with less foliage and greenery, landscaping becomes much simpler, particularly for projects like patio installation, which require careful planning and preparation.
Hedge placement
In winter, when many plants are dormant and the landscape is bare, it becomes easier to observe the natural conditions of your garden, especially wind patterns. The lack of leaves or foliage on trees and shrubs makes it clearer how wind moves through your garden, which is important for understanding how to protect your plants from harsh winds during the colder months.
By paying attention to the orientation of your garden (which way it faces) and identifying the prevailing wind directions (how wind typically moves through your garden area), you can plan more effectively where to place protective structures like hedges or fences.
For example, positioning a hedge or fence in the right spot can help shield delicate plants from strong winds, minimising damage and improving their chances of surviving the winter.
Soil testing
Understanding soil quality is vital for long-term planting success and the expert recommended testing soil acidity and improving nutrient content before spring planting begins.
Mr Walley said: “Add compost, manure or grass clippings to help improve the soil structure as this can help with aeration and moisture retention.”
Drainage improvements
The expert suggested incorporating plants that thrive in both wet and dry conditions to help manage water flow during heavy downpours.
He said: “You can also help to support drainage in your garden by installing permeable patios, which use unique paving slabs to help absorb excess water rather than allowing it to pool on the surface.”
Relocate the plant
Mr Walley said: “It’s much better to move and relocate plants and shrubs over the winter when they aren’t growing or flowering, as this way they are disturbed less.”
The winter dormancy period offers the perfect time to move plants and shrubs with little impact on their growth cycle.
