What better way to brighten up this chilly season than with a sensational Winter Garden… Winter can be a difficult time for our gardens – it’s colder, darker and there’s bound to be a certain amount of Autumn debris left lying about, so we’ve got some top pointers for giving our gardens some extra seasonal love, and creating a ‘Winter Wonderland’ on our very own doorsteps.
Many of us will have been spending a lot more time looking out the window this year as we’ve started working from home, and as Christmas draws ever nearer – now is the perfect time to get our gardens tip top shape ready to fill us with yuletide joy. We understand that for many of us it’s hard to know where to start – which is why we’ve asked some of our top local experts to give us their best inside info on how to get our Winter Gardens blooming:
Credit: Laura Seber – Green Not Grey
Planning the overall effect with Green Not Grey:
Creating the perfect winter garden begins with the overall design. To support your garden and keep it looking great throughout Winter, when the sun is lower in the sky and darkness falls early, plan elements into your garden that glow in the dark – from plants and foliage that stand out in lower light, to lighting to allow you to use your garden after sundown.
To keep a garden beautiful in Winter, beyond tidying up fallen leaves and cutting back dead summer foliage, now is the time to get planting. There are a surprising number of plants that look great at this time of year – be it in the borders or in pots on the patio or windowsill. The trick is to layer different colours and textures to create a visual tapestry; look for an overall effect rather than just one individual standout plant. Start with a backdrop of evergreen shrubs and climbers with eye-catching leaves – think yellow spots, feathery white edges, crinkly tips – and then add in accents of glossy berries, brightly coloured stems and bark, blowsy grasses, and seasonal flowers. These will look great even on a grey day, and just as good at night, subtly lit from different angles. Top this off with a cosy firepit or chimnea and some outdoor lanterns, and you have the perfect outdoor space for when the sun goes down. (Toasted marshmallows and a mug of mulled wine will make admiring the view all the more enticing.) And it’s great to think that it’s nearly Spring!: so don’t forget to plan to get your bulbs in the ground now, for a lovely display come March.
Green Not Grey is a small garden maintenance and design business run by Laura Seber. Laura focuses on helping people with small gardens get the most from their space when they are short on time or know-how. If you would like some help in creating your perfect Winter garden, or with garden maintenance, planting design and advice for all seasons (no matter how small your garden) please get in touch:
Website: www.greennotgrey.com
Email: laura@greennotgrey.com
Instagram: @green_not_grey
Facebook: @greennotgrey
Cleaning up your garden with Clear The Lot:
The best way to physically start getting your garden into perfect winter shape is to tidy and clear the space. To begin, clear all loose leaves and debris from paths, flower beds and lawn – once the trees have fully dropped all their leaves. Remove weeds and maintain borders ready for planting next season. Remember to protect vulnerable plants from frost, with hessian, special fleece or other suitable protective covers. Trim, prune and cut back bushes and shrubs to maintain shape. Remove any dead or diseased branches as this will help to keep your plants healthy. Store away garden furniture, BBQ, fire pit etc and make sure your storage out building (Garages, Sheds) roofs are well maintained and secure to protect against the elements of Winter.
Credit: Clear the Lot
Clearthelot.com are a multi service operations company providing many solutions inside and out of your property. They offer all services within the waste removal sector and specialise in “Garden Clearance” with our trusted teams of hard-working skilled personnel. The teams provide a reliable, flexible and immaculate service, from start to finish.
To discuss your clearance needs or any other service call 0203 323 0017 / 07734 678 923
Website: www.clearthelot.com
Email: info@clearthelot.com
Facebook: @Clearthelot
Twitter: @Clearthelot
Instagram: @Clearthelot_gardens & @Clearthelot_london
*Plants used are Red berries, Skimmia Japonica Rubella, Clusters of Hellebore Christmas Carol and Euonymus Bravo. Peter Ralph Ltd.
Designing the perfect winter flowerbed with Peter Ralph:
Flowerbeds and pots can be wonderful feature elements in gardens – and that is no exception for a winter garden. I believe an evergreen variegated background is best when designing the perfect winter bed; I favour Red Skimmia and White Hellebores, as these are always a winning combination. These plants are more expensive than winter Pansies and Cyclamens but stay fresher, will last you through until spring, and don’t mind the frosty weather, so in the long-term they are more cost effective. If you have a smaller garden or balcony, I’d recommend planting this combination in terracotta pots, these look great by entrances and add the perfect winter touch.
I started my business in 1987 after leaving my job as a groundsman at Raynes Park Sports Centre, which is now a training ground for Wimbledon Tennis. I work around the South West London area, but you’ll mainly find me working in Putney, Wimbledon and Richmond, with The Poppy Factory being one of my longest standing clients. Contact Peter for exterior landscaping, garden maintenance and planting design.
Instagram: @peterralphltd
Credit: Laura Seber – Green Not Grey
Hopefully this expert advice can help you start your journey towards transforming your outdoor space this winter…
Written By: Hannah Ablett | Deputy Editor
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