How Do I... Care for My Garden in the Colder Months?

Put the effort in over winter and give your garden the best chance to flourish come spring – an expert reveals how

Georgia MaddenJune 28, 2018

Senior writer, Houzz Australia

In this practical series, we ask industry professionals to answer your burning home and garden questions. Here, Melissa King, horticulturist, garden writer and TV presenter, shares her top tips for nurturing your garden during the winter months.

Joanne Green Landscape & Interior

Winter can be hard going for plants – not only do they have to tolerate cold conditions, but also reduced daylight hours and increased overshadowing. Meanwhile, heavy rain can saturate soil and cause root rot, and prolonged periods of early morning frost can damage delicate leaves. During this time, lawns and gardens use up their stored energy reserves, making them more susceptible to diseases and weed invasion.

So, if you were hoping to take a break from gardening over winter, you might need to think again. It’s important to maintain your garden so that it can cope with the stressful conditions of the cooler months – and so you’re not faced with a jungle come spring. Here are my top tips.

Image: Cyclone

Prune plants
Winter is the perfect time to get stuck into pruning – it will promote healthy plant growth and an abundance of blooms next season. As a general rule, you shouldn’t cut more than a third off a plant. Cut off roughly half of the growth in a neatly rounded shape. You might like to prune to an outward-facing bud, so the branches grow in a vase-like shape. If you’re looking for a new pruner, Cyclone’s Heavy Duty Bypass Pruner (shown) is one of my favourites as it’s comfortable and easy to control.

Image: Cyclone

For thicker, hard-to-reach branches, opt for a lopper over pruners.

Tip: If you live in a frosty area, it’s a good idea to wait until the risk of frost has passed before pruning so that new shoots (particularly roses) don’t get damaged.

a.d.d. concept + design

Remove dead wood
Old, spindly or dead wood should also be cut away. Logs and branches can go on the winter woodpile ready for the fire pit or indoor wood heater.

Jocelyn H. Chilvers

Pick up leaves
It’s important to remove fallen leaves from the lawn as soon as possible because when they get wet from rain and morning dew they can stick together and form a thick layer that will suffocate the grass and breed fungal diseases. Rake regularly and put leaves in the compost.

Kim Gamel

Add some colour
The drab winter period is the perfect time to give your garden a colour makeover. Consider brightening up your outdoor space with some exuberant bedding plants such as polyanthus. Or, create a stunning feature by planting maroon pansies and silver-leafed cinerarias in stone pots, or near-black violas and grey dichondra in charcoal-coloured containers.

Be creative and mix together different plant varieties, such as a dwarf conifers with cyclamen, pansies, primulas and trailing dichondra.

Add interest by putting plants at different heights, such as pops of colour in tall planters and hanging baskets hung at eye-level.

Green Tree Garden Design Ltd

Fill the air with sweet scents
Fragrant blooms are a real treat for the senses in winter – and a wonderful way to welcome any guests walking up your garden path. Consider planting perfumed beauties such as wintersweet near the front gate, or a hedge of sweet osmanthus alongside a garden pathway.

Le jardinet

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