Getting your garden ready for Winter

Winter is here, bringing with it wetter, windier and colder weather to some parts of the country.  Whether you’re about to place your home on the market or you’re just settling into a new residential property, it’s important you ensure your house is ready to take on whatever kind of weather the new season brings.

One often forgotten part of the house is the garden.  This area of your home is likely to suffer the worst of the wintery conditions, so follow these three tips to get it in shape.

Remove overhanging branches

Winter and autumn are both windy season and if you have large trees surrounding your home, you might need to grab your gardening tools and cut down some branches.

Long branches overhanging above power lines, roofs, gutters and windows could cause serious damage if the wind blew them around too much or even caused them to collapse.

If any branches or tree limbs overhanging on your property stem from a neighbour’s tree, you will need to ask them for permission before cutting them down.

Get planting

There are many vegetables that you can grow in winter, giving you healthy home grown produce to use in hearty winter recipes.

Some of the best vegetables you can plant for the winter season include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, silverbeet, carrots, leeks and spinach.  For the greatest results, it’s best to plant these vegetables early in autumn to ensure you’ve got a good crop for winter.

If you’re not looking to spend much time in the garden you could consider planting some easy-care herbs such as thyme, garlic, rosemary, lavender, oregano or parsley, which will all make a great addition to winter meals.

Remove blockages

Regardless if your house is on a sloped section or a flat site, you must ensure your lawn and backyard is well drained.  It’s not a pretty sight when your lawn turns into a swamp, especially if you’re trying to sell your home in the colder, wetter months.

Laying mulches such as straw and compost can help to prevent rain from destroying the structure of the soil in your garden and may help your plants continue to grow.  For your lawns, make sure there aren’t blockages like dead leaves, branches and outdoor furniture that will stop rainfall from flowing into gutters and through ditches.

Digging drainage ditches can also help to guide water and stop it from pooling up in your backyard.

Source: Ray White Living Lifestyle Issue 94