As the colourful days of summer fade to autumn hues, we should start preparing our gardens for winter and planning for what we want to see in our gardens in the spring, bearing in mind that there are vegetables and some flowers which grow during the winter months.

There are a multitude of tasks you can undertake in the autumn, starting with uprooting annual flowers such as bedding plants which have stopped flowering and are past their best in terms of visual impact. Much as it may go against the grain to uproot these, dead annuals and bedding plants can detract from the appearance of your garden if not removed, but this can be a gradual process as not all annuals die off at the same time.

As most of us are acutely aware, one plant which continues to grow and flourish during the winter months is weeds. If weeds are not dealt with in the autumn they will multiply and their roots become more established over the winter, so it is always best to remove them before they become a more substantial problem. Always pull or dig weeds out, ensuring that you bring all the roots with the weed, or they will soon regenerate. A growing number of gardeners nowadays are shying away from chemical weed killers but if using one of these, bear in mind that they will kill any other plants or shrubs in the immediate area. It is always good to remember that weeds also grow on drives and pathways and need to be removed as well.

Most plants and shrubs are hardy and will stand up to the elements during the winter months and will happily look after themselves with the help of a little pruning when required. Some others survive best with a little protection, mainly from frost. There are a variety of products available from your local garden centre and you can use these items such as horticultural fleece to wrap around your more delicate plants to give them a better chance of surviving the winter. If you have plants in areas of the garden where they may be exposed to high winds, it may be prudent to lend them a little support using stakes or canes. Mulching the areas around plants and shrubs can serve two purposes, organic materials can help to feed the soil with much needed nutrients but can also provide an extra layer of frost protection over the colder winter months.

The health of lawns over the winter months is another area of concern for gardeners and you can do a great deal in the autumn to ensure your grass is in good condition come the spring and into the summer. Start by clearing all the dead leaves off the grass and aerate it with an aerator or fork to aid drainage and allow air into the roots. Scarifying your lawn either with a scarifier or rake will remove moss and dead organic matter from around the base of the grass. If your lawn is in need of some repair, this would also be a good time to apply a feed which will feed the grass and kill weeds and moss. If you do have a problem with moss always ensure that you rake it out after it has turned black. It is not a good idea to rake out live moss, this simply spreads the spores and will aggravate your moss problem in the long run. If you have any bare patches or areas caused either by removing moss or by constant use over the summer months, spread some grass seed over the affected areas and cover with a light dressing of sand or top soil. Alternatively, you could use one of the proprietary patch repair products that are readily available off the shelf.

It is well worth looking to see what vegetables you can plant in the late autumn which will give you a crop to harvest in the spring. Root vegetables in particular can grow well over the winter months. Tulips, daffodils and snowdrops can all provide early colour in your garden and these bulbs should be planted in the autumn to give the desired results in the spring.

One way to bring some colour to your garden during the winter months is to introduce winter hanging baskets or planters, planted with flowers such as cyclamen or winter pansies. Heathers can also be a source of some colour in winter and when planted along with a dwarf conifer or variegated ivy can provide colourful hanging basket or pot fillers. Hang them near to the house or where they can be seen from inside the house so that you can enjoy their colour without braving the elements to do so.

Having taken care of all the “earthy” work in preparing your garden for winter, there are other areas which will also need attention. It is always best to leave tidying up till all the potential mess making chores have been completed, but for a neat garden it is important do sweep up all the earth that has been spilled and clear away any dead leaves from the drive, paths and patio areas. Use a blower or garden vacuum to help clear any leaves and other debris lying on the ground.  If left, dead leaves can stain these areas, so it is important to not to leave them on hard areas. Power washing may clean much of this staining but possibly not all.

Most of us now have garden furniture and it is important that it is also protected from the elements in the winter months. Not all of us has a garage or space in a garden shed to store garden furniture to protect it so we may need to rely on waterproof covers to provide the protection. Most good quality garden furniture includes tailored covers in the product range and it is best to use this. Poorly fitting covers can act like sails in strong winds and can easily help to propel your furniture across the garden, damaging not only the furniture itself but possibly some of your plants and shrubs.

Having made your garden ready for the colder winter months, spare a thought for your local wildlife and bird life. When temperatures drop and normal sources of water freeze, take time to break any ice in bird baths and hang a few treats in bird feeders around the garden. This not only helps to feed the birds but brings the pleasure of seeing our feathered friends in our gardens when very little else of interest appears to be happening.

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