Getting Your Garden Ready for a Cold Snap

Although the winter nights are closing in, there are still a number of jobs you can carry out to keep your garden looking good in the months ahead

At Madingley Mulch, as garden suppliers we know all about preparing for winter and here we have put together some top tips which are ideal for gardens in Essex, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and across East Anglia.

Move Vulnerable Plants Indoors

Temperatures can rapidly plummet in the winter months and frost can kill many plants in your garden. Vulnerable plants like dahlias and begonias can be replanted in tubs and then stored in your greenhouse over the winter months. Giving them a fresh covering of mulch or compost will provide an additional layer of protection.

It is a good idea to give your greenhouse a good clean and get rid of any rubbish to maximise your storage space, and ensure that your heaters are in good working order. Your garage can also provide a temporary home for some of your plants.

Protect Plants Left Outside

If you are leaving potted plants outside, you can raise the containers off the ground using pot feet to make sure their soil does not get flooded with water. You can also cover pots with bubblewrap; even leaving the pots close together will reduce the risk of winter damage.

Netting and straw are also good sources of protection, particularly for shrubs like brassicas, which are often attacked by pigeons and other birds. You can also buy specially-designed fleeces, jackets and blankets for larger plants such as fruit trees.

Dispose of Debris

This time of year is ideal for clearing up leaves, not just off the lawn but from other parts of the garden such as ponds and beds.

You can clear leaves off the lawn by using a rake and you could also use a mower on a light or raised setting. This way it won’t damage cause permanent damage to the grass but will shred the leaves which can then be used for compost.

Prune and Weed

Smaller trees and shrubs should be cut back. Consider calling in a professional if the tree is particularly big. If you have time, get rid of as many unwanted weeds as possible and apply weedkiller where necessary.

If this all creates a lot of bulky rubbish that can’t be composted, then one effective way of getting rid of it is to burn it. Bonfires should be kept well under control and it is advisable to avoid upsetting the neighbours with any smoke.

Plant for the Winter and Spring

Annuals can be replaced with winter bedding plants such as pansies, violas, primroses and wallflowers. They will flower during the winter months during milder spells and put on a spurt of growth in the spring.

Other hardy plants will still flower over the winter months. Ornamental and winter flowering heathers should survive the harshest of winters. Bulbs which should be planted now include tulips, daffodils and snowdrops which will then flower early in the New Year.

To give any new plants the best chance of success, consider spreading some compost around your garden or laying down some mulch. This will improve the quality and drainage of the soil, which is particularly important if it is a wet winter. We can supply Denise’s Delight, our exclusive product which combines all the advantages of soil and compost. It contains Black Fen soil, horse manure, wood shavings and plant nutrients.

Madingley Mulch are suppliers of compost, soil conditioners and mulch to customers in Essex, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.

We have a delivery service to towns and villages across the region, including Huntingdon, Haverhill, Ely and Newmarket. Delivery is free to all addresses within 15 miles of our base on the edge of Cambridge. A standard £20 delivery charge applies to all within a 24.5 mile radius, and we can also arrange deliveries to places further away.  Follow the link above to find out more about our wide range of products.

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