Get your garden winter-ready!

Discover the top 10 garden tasks to get done this autumn! Take advantage of the remaining light evenings and milder temperatures to get your garden ship shape and ready for anything the Great British winter throws at it!

The nights are drawing in, the temperature is dropping and it’s only a matter of time until we start seeing twinkling Christmas lights in the windows. That’s right, winter is fast approaching!

Although you may not have thought about it in any detail yet, there are many things that need to be done to prepare your garden for the winter months. Get organised and you’ll feel better as you approach the festive season with the knowledge that your garden is winter-ready.

Top 10 pre-winter garden tasks

1. Give your fences some TLC

Do your fences look a bit battered and unloved? Now is the perfect time to give them a bit of attention before the harsh winter conditions set in! The last thing you want to be doing in the wind and rain is trying to fix your fence that has blown down. Assess all the fences lining your property. If any are wobbly, insecure or broken, carry out repairs so that they’ll stay strong during the windy winter months. Replace any panels that are beyond repair if you are able to and dispose of the old ones. If your fences are in good condition but could do with a protective layer, slap it on! Some sealant, creosote or paint will protect the wood from rain and frost.

2. Get that project done

If you’re considering a new path, want to dig up the pond or even install a new driveway, do it now before the cold sets in! Working in the dead of winter when the ground is hard or frozen makes everything more challenging! Get it done while you still have a chance of some mild weather and it’ll be all ready for you to enjoy when spring rolls around.

3. Give your lawn that last cut

Wait for a couple of dry days to ensure the ground is as dry as possible and then give your lawn that much needed last cut of the year. It will do the grass good to have a final trim before the cold weather sets in and it will also be easy on the eye – there’s nothing worse than having to look out onto an untidy, overgrown lawn all winter!

4. Trim your trees

Most trees grow significantly during the warm summer months and by the time autumn is here they can be a bit out of shape. Take the opportunity to give any small-ish trees a trim and get them into shape. Any fruit trees needing a trim should be done well before spring to preserve fruit growth. For larger trees, get a quote from a tree surgeon who will have the appropriate ladders and equipment to do the job and will know how to do it safely. Trimming tall trees will also give your garden more light – a definite must-have during the winter months!

5. Tidy up your hedges and bushes

It’s amazing how much hedges and bushes can spread in just a few months! They grow so much in the spring and summer with the warm sunshine and a bit of rain, so if they’ve not been closely maintained, get the trimmer out and give them the once over! It may create quite a lot of green waste but your garden will look neat once more and you’ll get back any space the overgrown hedges had claimed!

6. Get rid of unwanted equipment or furniture

Spring clean, autumn empty! This is your chance to dispose of any big pieces of equipment or garden furniture that are no longer wanted. Old or damaged chairs or tables, broken plastic garden toys or that huge paddling pool with the hole in it! Get a skip and throw it all in – you’ll feel so much better for it! Even though you may not be spending a great deal of time in the garden over the winter months, you don’t want to be faced with the summer’s debris every time you look out the window!

7. Prep your plants

Even in winter, there’s plenty to do in the garden if you feel inclined! Autumn is the ideal time to clear out dead material and plan your planting for next year. Avoid doing too much pruning as you can cut away new life but you can clip fruit trees, wisteria and rose bushes. Cut back dead stems on perennials and remove any old leaves. If it snows, make sure you clear it off your plants to avoid damage. Protect your plants from frost by adding a layer of mulch or bark around stems to help protect roots from the cold. You can also cover plants that can’t be moved with fleece to keep the worst off.

8. Get your onions in!

There are a few vegetables that you can grow in the winter and onions are one of them. Get them planted in the autumn and they’ll pretty much look after themselves over the winter months. Onions have a long growing season and won’t be ready until the following summer but it’s good to know you’re ahead of the game and have something growing when not much else is. Other winter veggies include garlic, shallots, spring onions, perpetual spinach, broad beans, peas and asparagus.

9. Install some twinkly lights for the dark evenings

Although you may not venture out into the garden much in the winter, it’s still nice to sit inside and look out – and a neat garden with some carefully arranged fairy lights will enhance your enjoyment!

10. Invest in a patio heater and canopy

If you’re keen to make the most of your garden all year round, consider investing in a canopy or patio heater. Canopies come in all shapes, sizes and designs and having one that extends from the back wall of your house over your decking or patio creates the ideal place for winter alfresco dining or lounging. If you’re feeling more extravagant you could opt for a patio heater; these come in a range of options from small table top heaters to large tall ones and even wall mounted ones.

Garden waste – think TJ

TJ can help you with waste removal solutions for all your autumn/winter gardening tasks! TJ offers a range of skip hire options, from 2-yard mini skips up to 12-yard jumbo skips and everything in between. Hiring a skip from TJ will make your autumn garden clear-out a breeze as you’ll avoid endless trips to the tip, lots of lifting and shifting and the need to give the car a good clean afterwards! Discover all the options TJ can offer you and get the dimensions of each skip and guidance on how much waste they’ll hold on the individual skip pages.

Another option is grab hire. If you just don’t know how much waste you’ll accumulate and you have an accessible driveway or property, simply piling all the waste in one spot and opting for grab hire may suit you best. Find out more about TJ’s grab hire service and give us a call on 08000 463 964 if you’d like to discuss it in detail.

Aggregates

Keep in mind that TJ also supplies a range of aggregates should you require any for your autumn garden project. From sand and gravel, to rock chalk and crushed concrete, we’re sure to have a suitable material for your requirements. Our sand comes from Hythe Quarry near Southampton and our rock chalk from Butser Quarry near Petersfield.