You may have heard gardeners talk about putting their gardens to bed, the practice of preparing a garden for winter when plants typically grow more slowly or not at all. It’s the outdoor equivalent of spring cleaning, staged at the end of one gardening year, before the next begins.
Thoughts on how best to put a garden to bed, or ‘winterise’ it, have evolved considerably as we’ve become more environmentally enlightened. We now understand the benefits of encouraging wildlife into our gardens and the downside of lighting bonfires and making multiple journeys to the tip. Instead of consigning every leaf, stem, and seed head to the compost heap or recycling bin straight away, a lighter touch is now encouraged. Generally speaking, this is good news for gardeners as it creates less work during autumn. There is as much beauty in a clump of dried stems festooned with dew-covered cobwebs as in a perfectly tilled vegetable bed waiting to be sown in spring. And remember, what might look untidy to you may be highly appealing to an overwintering ladybird, frog, hedgehog or bumblebee.
However, as with all gardening practices, there’s a balance to be struck. Algae-covered paths can become dangerously slippery when wet, overhanging branches may fall in a storm, and diseased foliage will fall to the ground, depositing spores in the soil that may reinfect your plants the following year. Before retiring to your armchair and dreaming of next year's glories, sensible precautions against cold damage and predictable hazards should be taken.
Let’s start with the dos:
- Mulch around plants and over empty beds and borders. Over winter, worms will busily pull the organic matter into the soil, improving its structure. A thick mulch will also prevent weed seeds from germinating during mild spells.
- Collect leaves and add them to your compost heap, or pack them into jute sacks. They’ll slowly decompose to make leaf mould—one of the most precious ingredients in good compost. You can also shovel leaves directly onto borders and use them as mulch, taking care not to swamp or suffocate small plants.
- Brush paths with coarse sand or use a jet washer to remove moss and algae, which can become slippery when wet or icy.
- In exposed gardens, reduce the height of tall shrubs such as roses, buddleia, and lavatera to prevent them from rocking in high winds. When they move, the soil at their base loosens, resulting in water gathering around their roots, potentially causing them to rot. For the same reason, newly planted trees should be staked low down.
- Turn off the water supply to outdoor taps and drain hosepipes before storing them. Install a water butt if you need a ready supply of water over winter.
- Removing and destroying any infected plant matter is essential if you’ve experienced blight, black spot, rust, or mildew this season. Cutting off this year’s hellebore leaves is a good idea, allowing an uncluttered view of the nodding blooms in spring.
- Take a walk around the garden and inspect large shrubs and trees, making a note of any branches that appear as if they might fall. Remove them yourself using loppers or a pruning saw if you feel able. If in doubt, call an arborist for a second opinion and to carry out the work. Do the same exercise for fences, garden buildings and ornamental structures, such as pergolas. Make repairs before foul weather sets it. Find out more about winter pruning.
- Protect frost-tender plants by mulching or fleecing in situ. Alternatively, you can take cuttings as insurance or before consigning the parent plant to the compost heap. Small tender plants can be lifted and brought indoors or stored in a shed, greenhouse or garage. Find out more about protecting tender plants over winter.
- Give the lawn one last cut, avoiding emerging bulbs - some early-flowering varieties can appear above ground well before Christmas.
- Clean tools thoroughly before putting them away. The air is full of moisture, and a coating of Camellia oil will protect them from rust and other blemishes. Sharpen blades now or in early spring before you use them again. Find out more about how to maintain garden tools.
- Clean out previously used nesting boxes and bird feeders so that they are free of diseases before their next visitors arrive.
- Order and plant bare-rooted plants. This is one of the cheapest and most environmentally friendly ways to create a hedge, rose garden, orchard or woodland area. Find out more about why bare-rooted plants are the way forward for enlightened gardeners.
- Plant bulbs in readiness for spring. We think of winter as a bleak period when nothing happens in the garden, but it’s a rare season when there’s not a single flower in bloom or pollinator abroad to attend to it. If you don’t enjoy spending time in your garden during winter, plant a container with bulbs, winter box and winter-flowering pansies, place it on your doorstep, and you’ll enjoy scent and colour until you’re ready to venture deeper into your garden again. Find out more about when and how to plant spring-flowering bulbs.
Now let’s consider the don’ts:
- Avoid clearing away too much too soon - piles of leaves, fallen fruits, hollow stems, and ripening seed heads can provide food and shelter for many creatures. If you can bear it, leave the drying stems of annuals, perennials and grasses in situ until late winter. Finding space for a compost heap or bin is a much better way to recycle your garden waste than taking it to a commercial facility.
- Make and light a bonfire only if necessary, choosing a calm day. Do the whole process on the same day so that hibernating creatures don’t make a home in your inviting pile of warm debris.
- Avoid leaving beds and borders bare and empty. If it is too late to sow green manure, apply thick mulch and let the worms work their magic while you rest.
Less is often more when it comes to preparing your garden for winter. If you can bear to wait, you’ll find the volume of material that needs to be removed or relocated within your garden diminishes rapidly as it dries and then decays. My advice is to take things slowly and do a little at a time on fine days when the soil is firm underfoot. You'll enjoy it more, and the wildlife in your garden will thank you for providing a source of shelter and nourishment.