The Ultimate Guide to Preparing Your Garden for Fall and Winter

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There are certain times of the year when the garden will get more attention than others. Depending on where you live and the type of climate you get throughout the year, will also sway whether you spend your time outdoors or hibernate indoors.

For example, when it’s cold, you’ll probably want to spend less time outside or at least have a space outside that you can keep warm, like a firepit and lounge area.

Preparing your garden for fall and winter is important because it’s useful to maintain and protect those plants and shrubs in the space. Not only that but furniture, equipment, and your home in general should all be looked after when it comes to the exterior space available.

With that being said, here’s an ultimate guide for preparing your garden for fall and winter this year.

Clear your gutters and check your roof

When it comes to preparing your garden, you should first look at the property itself. The gutters and your roof are two tasks that should be on your to-do list for home maintenance. To start with, take a closer look at your roof for any signs of damage will loose debris that could fall onto the ground.

While a roof will typically last for up to 50 years, harsh weather conditions could cause damage. Fallen debris could into your garden and potentially damage delicate shrubs and plants as well as garden furniture.

It’s a good idea to get a roofing specialist out to check over the roof and conduct any fixes that need making to prevent damage to your garden.

Your gutters should also be checked over for any blockages throughout your drainage system. When gutters are blocked they can cause flooding that can damage both your property and the surrounding area like your garden. You can get gutters that are completely covered and therefore less likely to get blocked with debris or nesting wildlife.

Prune back your plants

Keeping your plants pruned back is important to the maintenance of your garden in general but also to protect your property from damage. Overgrown shrubs and trees can be at risk of damaging your property during the course of harsh weather or simply by resting on the property directly.

With that in mind, look at pruning back your plants from one season to the next. Keep an eye out for any shrubs plants or trees that tend to grow quicker and need pruning back sooner.

Not only will pruning back your plants help protect your property but it will also reduce the risk of pests coming onto the property uninvited. The closer your shrubs and plants are to the property the easier it will be for pests to get onto and in your home.

Protect any plants and flowers from frost and damage

While some plants and flowers will stay alive during the harsher months of the year others might not be so impenetrable. Therefore, it’s a good idea to protect any plants and flowers from frost and damage in general due to weather.

There are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to protecting your plants in the garden. One example is to use garden cloches. These are a material that covers areas of your garden to avoid any frost or general damage that can come from pests and other wildlife.

You can also use plastic bottles, cardboard boxes, and fleece covers to protect your crops depending on the size and space they take up.

Bring potted plants inside

It’s worthwhile bringing in any potted plants as these will likely be more susceptible to damage if knocked over by wind and harsh weather. If you don’t have any room inside your home then it might be to create, an outdoor space that’s sheltered like a garden shed for example.

By keeping your potted plants sheltered, you’re less likely to find them tipped over in your garden or broken. There’s nothing worse than finding some of your favorite potted plant holders destroyed from being knocked down.

If you can’t keep your potted plants in any sheltered space, then the alternative is to attach them to a nearby wall or support them with something that will stop them from being knocked over.

Add mulch

Mulch is a great material to add to your garden when you’re preparing it ahead for the cooler months of the year. There are many uses for mulch and many benefits that come with using them. Examples of mulch can be newspaper, manure, and bark chips for example.

Using mulch during fall and winter can have many benefits. These include:

Reduces your need for watering
Suppresses weeds
Helps retain soil moisture
Provides plenty of nutrients to your flowers and plants
Deters pests
Warms up the soil
Protects plant roots from extreme cold temperatures.

Mulch is definitely something you want to incorporate into your garden where possible, particularly during these cooler months of the year. It’ll help save a lot of the plants and flowers that would otherwise become damaged.

Incorporate windbreakers into the space

Windbreakers are helpful when it comes to keeping your plants and shrubs protected from the wind. The amount of wind that blows through your garden will depend on which way it’s facing and the typical climate you have in your area.

The same goes for where your house is situated and what outdoor structures you may have in your garden that block the wind’s path.

When it comes to protecting your garden in the fall and winter, you might want to consider windbreakers. These can be hammered into the ground and create a protective barrier for your garden’s plants and shrubs that are perhaps a little more vulnerable to the wind.

Feed and mow your lawn

To keep your lawn in good condition, it’s important to feed it and mow it regularly. Feeding your lawn can be done so simply by watering it but also by using certain products and fertilizers to give it a helping hand where required. It’s worth doing your research and finding out what type of grass you have as this will determine what fertilizer you need. If your lawn is struggling despite regular care, or if you’re planning a complete overhaul, considering professional sod installation near me can be an excellent way to ensure a lush, healthy foundation for your garden, especially before the cooler months set in.

Mowing your lawn is also an important part of keeping your garden in good shape. You want a detailed fall lawn care schedule where possible and make use of the best lawn mowers out there.

Some lawnmowers are easier to operate than others. Some come cordless making them easier to navigate around your space. You’ll want to mow your lawn before the winter months roll in because chances are, it won’t grow so much during these cooler months of the year.

Clean and store away furniture

Furniture that usually sits in the garden should ideally be stored away when the bad weather rolls around. The reason for storing them away is that they are likely to get damaged by the elements as well as knocked over when the weather is particularly bad.

From your dining table to your seating, these are all furniture items that should be secured and stored away where possible.

You should also look to clean your furniture before putting it away too. This is because there can be a lot of debris and dirt that builds up on the furniture and therefore you may find it becomes damaged if you were to simply leave it uncleaned.

After all, you’ve spent money on your furniture, you want to ensure it lasts for as long as possible.

Declutter your garden space

Decluttering the space is useful, even with a garden. Just like you would with your indoor space, you should always look to declutter your garden too.

Think about what is lying around in your garden right now. Could it be something that is stored elsewhere or could you get rid of it? Anything broken or has seen better days should ideally be removed from your garden as it will only make the garden feel cluttered and messy.

Anything that’s lying about and doesn’t have a home, should ideally go into some sort of storage outside. That way, you can keep your lawn and garden tidy all year round.

Consider a gardener for occasional work

Finally, if you’re someone who finds it difficult to manage their garden space at the best of times, then you may wish to find a gardener who can do occasional work.

Depending on the size of your garden will determine how many times you have the gardener visit. Typically, though, you may only need the gardener to come once or twice during the winter months just to keep everything in check and ensure that nothing has been damaged since the last visit.

Preparing your garden for fall and winter is important, especially as this can be when the most damage occurs to your outdoor space. Use these tips to ensure your garden is prepped for the months ahead so that you can eventually enjoy the space once it’s warm again.

*This article is based on personal suggestions and/or experiences and is for informational purposes only. This should not be used as professional advice. Please consult a professional where applicable.