This year you can make a gift last all year round as we have teamed up with National Garden Gift Vouchers to give away 1 of 10 £50 vouchers for UnderTheChristmasTree readers!
Giving the gift of gardening this Christmas will plant a huge smile on any green-fingered family or friend’s face. Whether you are the next Monty Don or a beginner, getting out into the garden can be fun and give you a great feel of achievement.
This competition is now closed. Winners announced shortly.
National Garden Gift Vouchers let green-fingered family and friends choose the gifts they really want and that keep on living long after Christmas has gone. Whether it’s plants and shrubs for brightening up flower beds, garden furniture or accessories that make outdoor living easy or simply new look pots and containers for an instant garden or patio makeover. Spending them couldn’t be easier as they can be used at over 2,000 outlets across the UK.
Go to www.thevouchergarden.co.uk to see all the outlets that sell and accept them, or log on and buy them as gifts. Visit www.facebook.com/GardenGiftVouchers or follow on twitter @GardenGiftVouch and get all the latest garden news.
How to Enter
To enter all you have to do is:
1. Pop your name and email in the box above.
2. Simply comment on this page and share with us your tips and tricks for winter gardening.
3. For an EXTRA entry Share, Tweet or Google + the competition
The competition will end on 14th of October 2013 where a random winner will be picked and notified the following day.
Good Luck!
See UnderTheChristmasTree Competition Terms & Conditions.
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Wear a pair of woolley gloves under your gardening gloves to keep your hands warm
Give container plants extra protection. Cover with frost cloth or other heat retentive blankets and move pots and other containers close to the foundation of the house or under eaves.
A husband with a green finger 😀
Cut your grass before the winter come!
Use winter to have a good clear out and tidy up.
Lovely prize. I don’t know any tips, I just plant things, talk to them(!) and it seems to work for me.
wrap up warm and drinks plenty of hot drinks
I love putting together hanging baskets for autumn/winter with coloured heaters, trailing ivy and a selection of pansies and violas. Always cheer me up in the gloom of winter!
get the whole family to help and keep em supplied with lots of hot drinks and sandwiches, it’ll be great fun
Pack your semi-hardy pots in old suitcases with bubble wrap – you can shut the lid overnight to keep them nice and warm.
Keep some empty large plastic drink bottles. Clean them out and cut in half as they make great mini greenhouses to protect vulnerable plants from the frost
Mow your lawn and cut down privet hedges
It’s vital at this time of year to help protect your garden against frost. I’m able to bring some of my potted plants indoors, and what can’t be brought in I cover over with netting, and such like.
take a rest after dividing up the perennails!!! its nice when the garden goes to sleep it gives you time to rest up, tackle the house jobs that need doing, and time to plan ahead for next year, get the seed catalogues and have a good toot through them and think ahead for next year and also stock up on the bird seed n feed x
Do little and often so you don’t get too cold. I aim for 5 mins a day. That way you can get a lot done in a week!
Keep the lawn in shape before the cold weather bites!
protect your plants for the oncoming frost
always remember to get planting your spring bulbs ready for after the winter, make sure you get some good manure into your soil to weather throught winter for where you want to plant some great veggies next year and last but not least to make sure you protect any fragile plants through the winter with some hay around the base to protect the roots from any frosts 🙂 happy planting one and all 🙂 xxx
Remember not to neglect the summer garden furniture, I always wrap mine in a layer of tarpaulin to keep the weather from damaging it. Then when summer arrives a quick clean down and perhaps a varnish.
Try to get out and tidy up the garden as much as possible, plant winter pansies – lovely to look out at their smiling faces when everything else is dull
Clear space indoors (or in the greenhouse if you have one) well before you expect the first frosts then if there is an early frost warning you can move tender plants into protection quickly and easily.
What a lovely website http://www.underthechristmastree.co.uk is!
I live close to Regents Canal, last spring there was loads of duck weed there. A few Irish fisher man have told me duck weed is a great fertilizer for plants and so i have used it for all my indoor and outdoor plants. Now my plants have never been so lush, have never flowered more!
Use the winter months for repairing fences/sheds etc, then you’ll have more time to concentrate on the plants in the spring.
BUY LOTS OF PLANTS FOR WINTER COLOUR (SOME OF MY FAVOURITES ARE CORNUS MIDWINTER FIRE, HAMAMELIS, BURGUNDY HELLEBORES AND SARCOCOCCA) AS WELL AS ATTRACTIVE EVERGREENS.
Don’t expect your greenhouse to guard against frosts unless it is heated. Every year we are overoptimistic about it’s ability to protect tender plants. If you remember to cover in angel hair or bubble wrap they will be fine though.
Get those bulbs in now ready for a splash of colour during the colder periods. Cut your grass back, stick some mulch on your flower beds to re-nourish it ready for next year.
Don’t leave your garden furniture out all winter unless you’re sure it’s completely weather-proof. Cover it, or put it away in the garage or shed, you’ll be glad next spring!
now is the best time to lay a new lawn,soil is still warm to help it take 🙂
Plant trees in the winter when they’re dormant.
Provide for birds and other wildlife- make sure you check water to ensure it hasn’t frozen.
Turn on your seed propagator and put your wet gardening gloves in there. They will dry out overnight.
don’t forget your garden friends and feed the birds
Tip – don’t do gardening in the winter!
wrap palm trees, yuccas etc in bubble wrap for the winter to prevent them being killed by frost
Keep leaves swept up and weeds cleared it makes even the barest of gardens look tidy
Membrane over empty veg beds to make life easier in the spring!
Dead-head Autumn flowering plants and prune Summer flowering shrubs before frost arrives. If it snows brush snow from shrubs and trees to prevent tea branches breaking.
I use woolly gloves under rubber gloves to garden in winter – hands stay warm and more importantly dry!
Don’t be too eager to clear old plants away – leave some seeds/berries for birds and twigs/leaves on ground for wildlife.
On really cold days stay indoors with a cuppa and look through all the seed catalogues to plan for spring/summer!
Tidy and Wrap your Summerhouse up so it’s nice and warm in the cold, wet winter months
Take in furniture now as it will save you having to replace or clean it too much later on!
Move pots up against the house to help stop plants getting damaged by the frost
I let my pet chickens out of their enclosure in the day to free range in the garden. They eat bugs and slugs and little beasties all winter so we have less pests to deal with in the Spring.
I leave all the autumn leaves around the flower beds, they protect the plants from frost, the blackbirds love rummaging in them to find breakfast and somewhere in the wildlife heap at the bottom of the garden I hope my frogs, toads and newts will be cosy until spring!
I like to plant hyacinth bulbs, for myself and friends, in pots – always the first post-Christmas scent and colour. I also have to keep a very close eye on my boys and my three baby potted oak trees on the patio, not letting them get blown over, untied, or soaked in standing water.
Pick a dry day to mow and rake the lawn, tidy the edges and use one of the lawn patching products to make good any bare spots, especially those areas that the dog favours, if you know what I mean! The grass will now look great all winter especially on the frosty mornings, and it is all set for spring so you can relax and enjoy it with a nice cup of tea. Gardening is so exhausting yet so satisfying!
a bit cheeky really – but l keep praising my husband’s gardening skills…………..so he does all the work
Clean the green house ready for spring, plant the daffodils and go inside and do a jigsaw
Tidy your shrubs and grass now. Make sure plants are not damaged by cold by putting them in greenhouse or secluded spot.
Use your greenhouse all winter with a good heater.
Make sure you have plenty of room in your freezer as when you get a bumper year you end up with so many vegetables you can’t eat them fast enough.
clean up by sweeping the patio outside.
Make sure your garden is cut back and kept free from leaves, protect delicate plants
Digging – keeps you warm on even the coldest of days
I move all pots inside to protect them
Plan your bulb planting to bring colour in the spring. A display of daffodils, tulips or crocus can brighten up those grey days.
Try and put fragile plants out of the way
Layer up tubs with winter flowering pansies and bulbs so when the pansies have finished, the bulbs will come out bringing a bit of colour with them.
plant all those spring bulbs now for a great display in March
Dig up your soil now – makes things easier come March!
Bring the garden inside – plant some little pots and place on your windowsill. Its nice to grow herbs on the windowsill in the kitchen as you then have them in reach when you are cooking
Grow pumpkins so you can join in Halloween fun and then eat them after! Use glow sticks to light up so that your pumpkin remains edible!
Ensure the wife is wrapped up nice and warm…
bring in pot plants to protect them from the frost
Have some salt for the paths, break ice on water so birds can have a drink.
Forget the garden, snuggle up with a roaring fire and a cosy dressing gown and worry about it next spring.
I love getting out doing gardening, it helps me think about things, and calms me,
take out weeds every few weeks, so it is easier each time, keeps garden looking good
and complement myself, no one helps me, I have a lovely big rose bush and don’t want
it weeded, coz my children don’t know what a weed is!
great site !!
Time to prune the shrubs
My tip for winter gardening is to get ahead of yourself (late September), I always trim shrubs and trees back that shred leaves cutting my job in half when it comes to clearing up the autumn leaves. I always go around in late October spraying weeds in the hope that it will slow them down come Spring. Finally a big must is weed and feed the lawn in November, the reason for this is the children rarely play out on the grass in Winter nor does the lawn get cut so it gives it a good few months to kill off the moss and weeds but give you a rich green lawn come Spring time!
If you’re gardening in cold weather, make sure you’re wearing lots of thin layers so you can strip off as the work makes you hot! oh dear that sounds a bit risque but you know what I mean I hope 🙂
Bring some plants indoors to protect from frost.
Plan ahead,
CLEAN THE BBQ AND PACK IT AWAY
I mow my lawn just before the winter and only buy evergreen plants and trees. Then I relax by the fire until spring 🙂
Pack your Winter pots with plenty of bulbs underneath heathers and primroses, then you get colour all through the Winter and the lovely showing of early bulbs in Spring. Only one lot of planting!!
get a good camera so you can take beautiful photos of the snow topped trees
invest in a good hose, it makes life so much easier!
Read all the plant and seed catalogues. Order and plan for when the spring comes.
Cut the grass late on when it has almost stopped growing and then scarify, spike, seed and brush in loam for a superb lawn the following year. Hard work but worth the toil.
Hire a gardener!
Save 2 Ltr Plastic pop bottles (larger if you can get them!) To act as cloches over any vunerable plants & bubble wrap for anything large or spread out!
moisturise your hands well after gardening
make the most of every dry day to do something-it all helps!
When you do your last mow of the season, don’t have your mower set to the shortest cut. A little growth will add some protection to the roots during the harsh winter.
My tip for winter gardening is to get someone else to do it for you.
Wrap outside taps in bubblewrap & secure to prevent bursts. For a lovely splash of winter colour plant winter flowering heathers, Pansies, Violas and Wallflowers. Pinch out faded flowers to keep them blooming through the winter
Keep poster up of what needs doing in the garden, one for each season, then you are always prepared, works particularly well for beginner gardeners 🙂
Apart from making up a few autumn & winter hanging baskets I tend to give everything a good cutback in autumn and then just leave it to get on with it during the winter. I like to cater for the birds that visit my garden all year round but particularly in the winter I like to pile lots of different types of food into various feeders and birdtables and also provide lots of fresh clean water.
Top Tip –
Encourage Your Loved One To Join You In Taking Care Of The Garden
A Life Together Is A Place Shared –
MARRY A GARDENER
clear up and pack away from summer.
Don’t be too tidy when you clear up in the autumn. Leave some places for the insect sub birds and mammals to forage and hide.
Remember a garden is forever not just for summer. Look after it especially in the winter
cut the grass before the rain
Wear a really warm pair of thermal gloves or better still send your husband out into the garden instead wearing the gloves!!
Wear a second pair of trousers
Remember to break the ice on birdbaths so the birds can drink during cold snaps
Have a good number of evergreen plants in your garden so it doesn’t look bare & dull when the flowers have gone.
get lost in yourself in the garden
I use leather or suede gloves bought from charity shops to garden in as I find them more durable and protective than many other types of glove especially with thorny plants.
I just go to my daughters and clean up her large garden
Bring the pots in to save them cracking if they freeze
Invest in some battery operated fairy lights to brighten up your garden during the dark months.
MULCH! weed first then mulch with gravel for weed suppression, or with compost, bark, leafmould or whatever for protection and soil enrichment.
take down any solar lights and keep them protected in the shed over winter.
My tip would be to ensure the water in your bird bath (if you have one) doesn’t freeze over! with love xx
Wrap up warm. and enjoy a winters morning, sweeping up leaves, lostening to winter birdsong, bliss
Do all the chores that you didn’t have time to do during the growing season to get everything ready for next year.
wrap up warm and do ome jobs in short burst so the cold doesn’t set in. Set bulbs etc and remove weeds if the ground is soft.
I bring the potted plants that can’t survive the winter inside. It makes my home look good, and keeps the plants alive and healthy
If you have a young Magnolia tree in a pot, bring it inside if it is very frosty, or you’ll end up with a dead one – sadly happened to me
Remember to pop the covers on your garden furniture and don’t leave it too late!
When all the flowers have died, put silk flowers in little pots to make the place more colourful 🙂
Mow lawn, weed flowerbeds and clip hedge one last time before the weather gets too bad
Tweeted @Liquorice13
Plant up Daff bulbs in shallow pots, about 5 at a time. They will be ready for instant colour in the flower beds where you want them. Just dig deep enough hole and place in when they are coming up. Also easy to remove when finished. None of that time waiting to cut them back.
Don’t water plants in the evening when frost is forecast as it will freeze the water to the plants.
Leave plenty of bird food out, as it is harder for them to fend for themselves during the winter months.
Wrap up warm 🙂
keep on top of your garden before winter!
when you’re wrapping your pots and protecting your plants against the cold, don’t forget to do a little something for the wildlife too. Leave out fatballs and nuts for birds and try to keep an area of unfrozen water for them in a birdbath or similar. Birds make a garden as much as plants to remember them in the cold months ahead
Don’t leave the planting of the winter pansies too long. The sooner they are planted, the more chance they have to become established before the cold sets in.
Look at the catalogues and dream of next year’s prefect garden…
Remember to check all your plant ties, canes, stakes etc are all secure before the winds arrive to prevent damage to your plants.
Give the ground a good digover, check any canes for broken ones, move vulnerable plants into the shed/garage etc. Buy a leaf blower!
Pay someone else to do it!
write out a plan for next years vegetable garden – clear all old debris and leaves under your rose bushes.
move your favourite plants from outside either into the greenhouse or, if you REALLY love them, onto your bedroom windowsill to bask in the warmth of the radiator and winter sun! This is where my ‘Chocolate Covered Cherry’ lives 😀
use fleece to protect your delicate plant from harsh frost
remember the birds and get ready for the cold weather for them.
I use winter as a clear up time, weed and dig in compost/manure then cover everything over for a good start when planting early in the year
Stout wellies and a scarf to keep warm, and lay carpet over any clear beds to reduce weed growth.
Clean all your gardening tools and store them in a dry place for the winter.
Keep sweeping the leaves up from the paths and lawn so they don’t go slimey when they get wet and it helps the condition of the lawn over the winter
Protect vulnerable plants against frost
Provide food & homes for wildlife.
Clean & tidy the greenhouse or shed ,clean & oil the garden tools.Nothing worse than finding them messy in Spring.
Get Hubby to do it whilst you cook a nice roast dinner 🙂
do a little every day so it isnt overwhelming
pick the last of the apples and pears
Oil your gardening tools to stop them going rusty over the winter months.
Plant for winter colour and for wild life, both will keep your interest in the garden through the colder months , a bit of motivation to venture out and do the few jobs that are needed. Also wildlife from birds to insects and small mammals can actually help you garden too even in winter.
Plant some winter flowering plants to help any pollinating insects venturing out on slightly warmer, sunny days. Also winter is an excellent time to prune out dead or overlapping branches on fruit trees.
Never walk on the lawn when it is covered in frost.
Have a teenage son who needs the cash and has a strong back.
A few garden gnomes cheer up a garden in winter 😉
I’ve been planting some green manure into my allotment to replenish the soil.
Leave food out for wildlife
Do all structural work to the garden during winter so you have a fresh canvas for spring
I put my house plants at the window during the day to give them the best access to the daylight (limited though it may be in Scotland..!), and then move them to a warmer spot overnight so that they’re protected from drafts, condensation on the windows, etc.
Tidy the garden, get rid of leaves, twigs etc. Put delicate plants in the greenhouse to protect from frost. I shall be turning the soil in my veg patch and adding more compost so its ready for the next season.
Make the most of those dry days, wrap up warm and do not neglect your garden.
Protect herbs from frost. January and February are usually the coldest months. Bay, olive and French lavender can be brought near the house (to shelter) if in containers, or cover in fleece if planted in beds. .
Protect those vulnerable plants from frost by putting them under cover or if they are in pots move them indoors.
I need all the help I can get so I don’t really have any tips but thanks to this fab competition I have lots of tips to help me now. thanks everyone x
Get the kids to help
Make the most of those few fine days.
I tweeted @Pumpkin2k9
I let geraniums and begonias dry out completely during the winter, keep frost free in a cold greenhouse and they all seem to grow well next season
time to sort out your compost etc, protect certain plants with bubble wrap, fleece newspaper or even an old jumper to protect from the frost.. I move my cacti into the garage
Don’t forget that many veg can grow throughout the winter outside in case you have room but just do summer veg. Now is the time to plant cloves of garlic, get some winter sown broad beans to plant out buy some cut and come again lettuce to put in your mini greenhouse.
Wrap up warm!
Always remember a flask of tea or coffee to keep warm!
if you can afford to get someone else to come in every few weeks and do the big jobs but also remember to keep an eyue on your precious plants in the frosts, take them to a greenhouse if possible , failing that bring them indoors temporaily if possible in the very harsh winter weather. remember to plant the plants at the right time.
Remember to clean paths and slabs with Jeyes fluid.This stops them getting slippery when the wet wether sets in.
Plants in pots can freeze in their pots in winter and if the roots freeze they can’t take up any water so the plant Will die. Move them somewhere sheltered or wrap the Pots in bubble wrap to insulate and protect them from dying.
Cover rhubarb with an empty bucket to protect it from frost over winter and keep it on until the shoots start pushing it over in spring – makes for lovely, pink, sweet rhubarb stems.
Prune all the bits that need pruming and get out on a cold day and get the leaves swept up and tidied
Keep on top of the falling leaves, Rake regularly. lesson leaned from last year !
Don’t be tempted to plant outside too early – young plants can be very delicate and a sudden frost will kill them off quickly.
Rake up fallen leaves for a better lawn in the spring
Put pots close to the house to give more protection from the frost
Dont rorget to tie ur plants up cause of wind and put boxes out for the wildlife.
If freezing weather is forecast, water your lawn and plants before the frost arrives and they will take in the water before the ground is too frozen, helping more delicate plants to survive.
Superb giveaway. Subcribed, liked, tweeted & Google +1d for extra entries 🙂
wrap up warm
Don’t forget outside taps too…make sure they are insulated so that the tap (and hose) will be operable in the nicer weather and not crack through frost.
Use horticultural bubble wrap to line your greenhouse. It is more expensive than packing wrap, but lasts so much longer that it is worth the extra initial cost
Reward hubby with a nice big piece of homemade cake and a steaming cup of cocoa if he goes outside to do it all
Always have the mower on a higher setting for the last cut of the year
Get your garden prepared before the winter starts then it’ll be minimal work through the cold period.
Bubblewrap your olive trees!
Get organised with planting
A couple of colour changing solar lights will brighten the start of the dark evenings
Winter is a great time for planning what to grow next year and ordering seeds and bulbs.
cut grass before weather turns and wait for summer! thats what i do
Definitely a time for planning and looking through the catalogues
cut plants back 🙂
Make sure that you pack your bbq before winter.
make a home for the mini beasts and dont forget to look after the birds!
Leave the dead flowerheads on your hydrangea on the plant until spring, it helps to protect the plant from frost damage.
Protect tender shrubs from the elements with fleece/ straw and if in pots line them with bubble wrap which helps retain the heat in the soil. If plants in a delicate container and unable to bring indoors or store in shed, remove from pot and dig in to the soil before it freezes.
Take the time to thoroughly clean out the shed/storeroom and sort and store equipment neatly ready for next year. Dispose of all rubbish promptly.
Use the cold short days to plan you planting for the spring
Tidy up your grass, leaves and shrubs before the winter really sets in and plan what you are going to plant for early spring.
My first tip for winter gardening is to read the comments here, for example big thanks to Irene, I also live near Regents Canal and am going to do my bit to help clear the duck weed next year thanks to your comment :0)
My next tip would be that if you do not have enough room to move all your delicate potted plants indoors, at least try and lift them from the ground by putting broken bricks under or pieces of wood, this will help avoid ground frost and help to prevent plants that are not wrapped from becoming water logged during periods of heavy rain.
plant some tubs for lots of early spring colour and put them where you can see them from the window in the warm!
Don’t forget to plant your spring bulbs during the autumn months.
Do it now – the weather will only get worse!
have some tubs with evergreen, silver plants , winter pansies to lift the spirits. Avid treading on frosty lawns, shelter pots . Keep warm and only spend short periods outside.
Ask your gran for help!
I always wear waterproof trousers so I can keep dry kneeling down.
Make sure you dead head and prune back your plants so they are ready for next spring
Make sure you don’t purt off jobs that really need doing and take every advantage of any autumn sunshine days
make the most of the dry fine days and get as much as possible done so you don’t have to worry when the weather turns wet and cold
I’m not the best at gardening but I always cover my delicate plants with mulch before the first frost to protect them throughout winter 🙂
Keep on top of sweeping up old leaves from your gardens (to stop people slipping!) pop them in your composting bin to recycle 🙂
dig over early to let the frost break down the soil, then rake and hoe to expose and kill slug eggs.
This is our first garden so my tip is, if you are planning on fruit bushes next year, buy and plant now, avalible at a fraction of there normal price and they dont look much now but by next summer they should be very fruitful xx
At this time of year I tend to ‘tidy up’ ready for Spring. My biggest concern is making sure the local birds and wildlife have enough to eat, so keep all bird feeders etc topped up – as well as a clean (unfrozen) water source for them to drink from.
cover over empty beds so that less weeding to do come spring
Involve the kids, more hands, easier job x
If you have a weedy patch you want to cultivate get on top of it by digging and weeding before the weeds start to come through again in the spring.
I clean and dry any empty pots with a vinegar and water mixture to store over winter and just rinse through again when needed allowing them to air dry in the spring sunshine before refilling.
Turn off water supply to outside taps to prevent burst pipes over the winter period.
When tidying the garden for winter, don’t forget to collect any available seeds – best to store them cool and in paper bags, shallow dishes or open containers. Don’t use plastic bags or air-tight containers to prevent them from going mouldy. You will be ready to go again next spring!
Make sure you clear up any leaves and put bubble wrap round any precious plant pots.
Use the winter to clean and remove dirt and rust from your gardening tools, and use a mild detergent to disinfect pots and seed trays 🙂
Don’t tidy up till spring so that the insects have somewhere to live.
Pick up and store dead leaves in a secluded part of your garden, let them rot over winter months then spread around plants and shrubs next year.
Get someone to help. 😉
Ten minutes gardening every day keeps the garden tidy and clean
Plant up a winter tub with heather, pansies and some cyclamen, underplanted with small bulbs like crocus, chionodoxa and iris and you’ll have something to enjoy from September until May. Just tidy up and replant the pansies next autumn.
Planting cyclamen in shady borders as they are very hardy and look cute also low maintenance, can also look good in a hanging basket .
Get the garden as tidy as possible before the really cold weather starts and look to protect any vulnerable plants.
Make sure you are ready for the first frost; in a small garden the mini greenhouses work really well
hAVE A GOOD SORT OUT AND CLEAN OF YOUR SHED/GREENHOUSE/EQUIPMENT, SO ONCE SPRING STARTS THERE IS LESS WORK TO DO AND EVERYTHING IS ORGANISED, ALSO PACK AWAY ANYTHING YOU DON’T WANT TO GET DAMAGED
Get the cutting back and pruning done so that it can all start to shoot again in Spring
trim all the bushes back and tidy up the leaves
Put a board down to avoid compaction (and muddy shoes) on the soft wet grass or soil.
invest in a birdfeeder and make or buy some bird feed and youl get beautiful robins and other birds on your garden, its a lovely sight when theres snow on the ground and a little robin hopping around x
I always plant up a couple of tubs for winter colour and put them either side of the front door, as that’s mostly all I see of the garden in winter when I come home from work!
Even if it’s too wet to mow the lawns keep the edges of flowerbeds and borders neat to help the garden stay looking tidy
Make sure all baskets are well watered they can easily dry out even in winter