How to protect your garden during winter

Maintaining a thriving garden can present its challenges at any time of the year, but during the winter months you have to be especially careful. A beautiful garden will not only improve your sales prospects, but is also a relaxing haven that can do wonders for both your physical and mental health. So, how exactly do you protect your plants from those inevitable cold snaps?

If moving vulnerable plants is an option, try and ensure they are brought inside temporarily, or at least place them by walls or fences which can act as an added wind breaker. As well as being at risk of wind damage, excess moisture from heavy rains can also spell bad news for some plants. Therefore, you should raise your pots off the ground to allow for ample drainage should this issue occur.

If frost or snow is in the forecast, ensure your plants (or at least their roots) are covered where possible, and apply an extra layer of mulch to their soil for added protection against the cold. If there has been a long period with no heavy rains, watering the soil around even dormant plants is important to prevent them from freezing and drying out. Finally, if you encounter heavy snow, you should gently knock anything that’s settled off leaves and tree branches before it has a chance to freeze over.