If you think that spring and summer are the only times you can really do anything for your garden, it’s time to think again – you can actually do a lot during the winter to make sure that, by the time the warmer seasons come, your garden is ready to bloom. You might even be able to use your outside space more during the winter. All you need are the right products and some determination.
A Place For Wildlife
During the winter the shelters and food sources for wild animals can run low, but you can use your garden to help them out, and it’s ideal as you aren’t going to be using it much in the colder weather. There are some simple ways you can do this:
- Make your own bird feeder by taking a piece of wood and drilling some large holes into it. Mix some birdseed with melted lard and push a good amount into each hole. Hang this up somewhere out of reach of rodents and the birds will have a constant food source during the winter.
- You might also want to install a nest box to help the birds out. Make your own or buy one and hang it in the trees. It shouldn’t be too close to the house, or the birds might not want to use it, but if you want to watch the action, you can always install cameras inside that feed directly to your laptop.
- Having an OASE pond in your garden is another good idea. Ponds attract all kinds of wildlife and offer up a perfect habitat. Even if they aren’t there during the winter as much, you can make sure that by the time the spring comes, your pond is ready to receive them.
Lighting
If you want to use your garden in the winter, then one of the important things to remember is that it gets dark a lot earlier. You don’t want to be caught by surprise at three or four o’clock when the sun goes down, and you’ll miss out on time outside. The way to solve this problem is to have good lighting installed in your garden. You can choose from a variety of options including gel burners, solar lighting, and electric lanterns.
Heating
It’s all very well being able to enjoy the garden more because you have lighting, but what about when it gets really cold? No amount of light is going to help you there. However, if you use heaters in your garden, you really can stay outside for longer. A fire pit, patio heaters or gas burners can be the ideal way to make your garden more usable in the colder months.
Bulbs
If you love the idea of the springtime banishing winter and waking up the beauty of your garden, then you need to put in some work to prepare for this beforehand. Planting bulbs before the frosts really start to take hold is a great way to do this. Make sure you buy a variety and map out where you want to plant them. You might have a detailed plan, or it could be that you prefer it all to be random – the choice is yours, but the end result is always going to be fabulous.
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