Winter maintenance is often neglected — it is cold, dark and the garden looks dormant. But the work done in winter pays back many times over in spring. A garden well maintained through November to February emerges in March in far better shape than one left to its own devices.
Keep On Top of Leaves
Decomposing leaves on a lawn will kill the grass beneath within a few weeks. Clear fallen leaves every week or two from October to December. Leaves from the path and patio also create a slip hazard as they become wet and compressed.
- Clear leaves from lawn every 1–2 weeks
- Clear from path and patio surfaces for safety
- Compost in a wire cage — leaf mould is excellent mulch in 12 months
- Oak and beech leaves: add to a separate pile — slower to decompose
Protect Vulnerable Plants
Wrap tender plants — tree ferns, bananas, cordylines, agapanthus — with horticultural fleece before the first hard frost. Move pots with frost-sensitive plants into a garage or greenhouse. Protect pots themselves from frost by lifting them off the ground on pot feet.
Structural Work
Winter is the best time for significant structural garden work — clearance, new hard landscaping, fencing and groundworks. The garden is dormant, disruption is minimal, and booking in winter means getting on the calendar before the spring rush begins.
A&T Landscapes carries out winter garden maintenance and hard landscaping projects across Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire. Call 07735 916029.