Prepare Your Garden for Winter: Tips and Inspiration for a Green Season

Autumn is the perfect time to get your garden ready for winter. Not only to protect your plants from the cold, but also to offer shelter to wildlife and ensure a healthy, blooming outdoor space come spring. In this article, we share practical advice, ideas for winter-hardy plants and inspiration to turn your garden into a winterproof haven.

Garden Protection: Smart Ways to Handle Cold and Frost

Leave faded plants in place
While it may be tempting to tidy everything up, dead stems and leaves are actually valuable. They provide shelter for insects and small animals and contain seeds for birds. Feel free to leave them until spring.
Mulch as a natural blanket
A layer of mulch made from leaves, compost or wood chips protects plant roots from frost and nourishes the soil. This is especially useful under perennials and hedges.
Protect potted plants
Group pots together in a sheltered spot, such as against a wall. Wrap them in hessian or bubble wrap and bring frost-sensitive plants indoors or into a cold greenhouse.

Evergreen Plants: Colour and Structure During the Colder Months

Even in winter, you can enjoy greenery in your garden. Consider:

Helleborus (Christmas Rose) – hardy down to -20°C, blooms in the coldest months and is ideal for pots, borders and patios.
Ornamental grasses – such as Carex, Festuca or Miscanthus, add texture and movement, with some varieties remaining green in winter.
Heuchera – evergreen with colourful foliage, great for winter interest.
Skimmia – evergreen with attractive berries and flower buds.

Inspiration

Build a hedgehog shelter - using branches or an old crate filled with leaves. Hedgehogs love messy corners and use them for protection.
Plant spring bulbsand seeds - they bring early colour and provide food for bees.
Leave berries on shrubs – ivy and other berry-producing plants are a winter feast for birds.