Every winter has its spring

Blueheath at The Bower gardener Guiliano Perrota (Jules) shares his tips for prepping your garden for the winter months.

• Take it one day at a time – an unruly garden can seem overwhelming so aim to spend a few hours tackling just one job (or part of a job) at a time.
• Give your garden a good tidy up – clear away leaves from gardens and gutters and get rid of any old or tired furniture or old planters with dead or dying plants. If the wet weather has caused mould on pavers or walls give them a good wash with a high-pressure cleaner.
• Lots of gardens have been neglected during the heavy periods of rain and weeds are sprouting everywhere. The good news is that they’ll come out easier if the ground is still soft so get in there and weed garden beds.
• Lots of plants need pruning in winter including hydrangeas and roses. Cut back roses to just 3 or 4 stems. Aim to remove about 2/3 of a hydrangea – prune down to the stems where there have been flowers and limit pruning on healthy stems where there have been no flowers in the last season.
• If you have an area of your garden that gets sunshine through the winter, you can still grow veggies. Winter is a good time to plant cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and broad beans.

Follow Blueheath at The Bower for future tips from Jules as well as content about downsizing and living your best retirement.