How To Prepare Your Garden For Autumn-Winter 2016.

Okay, we might not want to be thinking about the autumn and winter just yet, we’re still enjoying what sun we’re getting this summer, but it’s worth casting an eye over your garden and the items in it before the weather does start to take a turn and it’s too late for your plants and possessions.
The warm days of summer can lead to relatively chilly nights, especially towards the end of August and in early September, and this creates a heavy dew which can eventually lead to rotting occurring.

You can help to fertilize your soil for the autumn and winter period by collecting the leaves that begin to fall from your plants. By covering any exposed soil with the dying leaves, the nutrients can filter through into the soil and provide all of the essential minerals the plants need to get through the winter and continue to grow and bloom when the warm weather returns in the spring.
For any garden materials that you don’t need or can’t use, such as grass cuttings or any excess leaves that you can’t use for fertilizer, investing in a garden shredder would be a good option to help you to condense all of your garden rubbish down so it will easily fit into recycling bags and they can then be put out for the weekly bin collection or taken to the nearest recycling centre.
If you have any hedges in your garden that you want to protect for next year, ensure that you cut away any dead or dying sections before they have the chance to cause further damage to the rest of the hedgerow. You can do this using traditional garden sheers or a petrol hedge trimmer that will make light work of the job, it’s all down to personal preference. You can also cut back any trees or branches that may cause the grass on your lawn to die to save you the task of seeding the bare lawn or laying new turf in the springtime.
Finally, if you have access to a shed or greenhouse and you have some plants that are particular vulnerable in the cold weather, you might want to consider moving them inside. Continued maintenance throughout the winter, such as feeding and watering your plants, as well as providing them with as much light as possible, will – hopefully – keep them alive during the cold months so you can bring them out in full bloom in the spring to bring some much needed colour back to your garden.