Winter jobs in the garden

When the clocks change and the daylight hours shorten and cold, wet weather sets-in, the garden can look drab and untidy, so pull out all those annual bedding plants that have finished flowering and cut back other dead plant material. Put them all on the compost heap along with the leaves that you have been sweeping from the lawn and pathways.

This is also the time to start preparing ground for next year’s plantings. Digging is good exercise and will keep you warm. All the ground with nothing growing in it can be turned-over and left to ‘break down’ by the action of the weather over winter. Next spring the soil will be easy to work and will quickly form a seedbed. Although nothing appears to be growing at this time, the garden is still a fascinating place. There may be some winter flowers appearing on certain shrubs, the striking colours of various berries that attract birds and the patterns that nature works on a frosty morning all bring interest and enjoyment.