Gardens and growing spaces are still places of creativity, nature and new growth during the winter months. There are plenty of jobs to get stuck into, including looking after wildlife, harvesting vegetables, pruning rose bushes or planning ahead for warmer days. Find out how to choose flowering plants to bring floral interest to your winter garden and keep active outside at the same time.
Most types of roses should be pruned in January or February before the leaves start to emerge. Modern roses can be cut back hard while the older types should be pruned more gently. Always remove any dead, damaged or diseased stems.
Bare-root trees and bushes can be planted between November and March if the soil is not frozen. You can also prune apple and pear trees, gooseberries and currant bushes. Remove dead or rubbing branches, shorten new growth a little and try to keep an open centre to the tree or bush.
Don’t be tempted to be too tidy. Leaving some growth on your perennials will provide a winter habitat for the wildlife that uses in your garden. Some dry stems to hide in will make the winter months easier for many insects.
Leave out bird feeders and water baths or gently melt the ice on your ponds. This will allow garden birds to get a drink. A healthy garden ecosystem also needs insects so why not make a simple bug hotel with wood and sticks? Fill the gaps with hollow plant stems and pine cones to make a welcoming place for bugs to hide.
Drain outside taps and isolate them if you can. This will prevent burst pipes and a damaged tap in frosty weather. If you can’t isolate your garden tap then insulate exposed pipes and fit a tap cover to protect it from the cold weather.
Move tender plants in pots to a sheltered place or cover them with fleece, hessian or straw. Keeping the roots dry will greatly increase the plant's chances of survival through winter.