After a mild autumn, we're now feeling the cold and staying indoors a lot more keeping warm. Many would think that that means less gardening however we think it’s a perfect time to get into the garden! Here are some tips to keep you busy and to help prepare your garden for these cooler months:
Pops of colour
Just because the skies are grey, doesn't mean you have to have a gloomy garden! Try planting pansies, viola, verbena, lupins, dianthus and cornflower to add pops of colour to your pots and planters. They can make the garden really lush and green, allowing you to enjoy a variety of colours throughout the wintertime.
Get bare rooted!
Bare rooted fruit trees are perfect to plant at this time of year, but they will need nice, mulched soil so be sure to prepare a rich mix ahead of planting. Bare rooted trees are just that - bare rooted. During winter, trees and shrubs that have been field grown are dug up when they're dormant and sold ready for planting. They are easy to grow provided the soil they are planted in is full of nutrients to help get the roots ready for growth.
Heart healthy veggies
Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and brussel sprouts are perfect to plant in May and are part of the same family: Brassica oleracea. Australian researchers studied 1,500 women aged over 70 and found that those that ate vegetables from this family reduced the thickening of the walls of a vessel that supplies blood to the brain, improving overall vascular and heart health, so it’s a great time to start growing some heart health veggies. If you're keen to plant these varieties in your garden, try planting some sage around them. This elegant herb helps repel caterpillar and moths. It’s also great in a variety of recipes, so it’s a win-win!
Tidying the garden
Weeding your garden beds and putting a thick layer of fresh mulch down, helps keeps the weeds away and gives nutrients to your new plantings, supporting growth and supressing weeds. If you can, try regularly weeding your garden as it helps maintain its overall condition, ensuring it never gets too overwhelming and out of control. Even if you pluck a few out every couple of days that will help maintain it and allow the plants you want to grow, to have the space and good quality soil to do so without having to compete with pesky weeds.
Mother natures sprinkler
With more rain, comes less need to water the garden, so check the soil moisture to see if mother nature has done all the work for you before you pull the hose out. Soil can still be quite dry in the winter time, and some plants will need different levels of watering to support them through the cooler months. If you have pots that are undercover, be sure to remember to water them or pop them in the yard so that they get ample water and remain healthy and happy.
The team at HCSA can help with any of the above tasks, so give us a call today to see how we can help you!