As the days grow shorter and the cold weather sets in it’s a good time to take stock in the garden and get some of those jobs you may have been putting off done. The camellias will be in flower by now, which is always nice to see, but most of everything else should be bedding itself down for the winter months and preparing for spring. So really there is no better opportunity than right now to get yourself busy outside!

Garden enthusiasm usually hits an all time low as winter rolls around with most of us content just to shelve it for the next few months. A little bit of maintenance at this point however can save you some real headaches in the spring –not to mention the fact it’s often easier to get some of the heavier work done while the temperatures are much cooler.

Maintenance to cut back the dead and dying foliage of the perennials in your garden is certainly a job that can be done in winter. Trees can be pruned back to maintain a nice shape and any dead trees and shrubs can be removed altogether to make way for your new spring plantings. Pruning is relatively easy to do but remember to avoid cutting back any spring-flowering shrubs if you can, or you’ll be robbing yourself of this year’s flowers!

Repair work on lawns, decks, paths and retaining walls can all be tackled quite easily at this time of the year as well. Actually, any hard landscaping at all is a good idea while the garden is back to its bare bones in winter –there’s less chance of disturbing any plant growth. Provided the weather is relatively compliant of course!

Deciduous trees and shrubs can also be transplanted pretty easily as they hit their dormant period around now when a complete garden overhaul can usually be undertaken with a minimum of fuss. Hedges can be trimmed back allowing them to maintain their shape all winter and most of everything else tidied up for much the same reason.

Lawns certainly won’t need as frequent a cut as other times of the year but work can still be done to remove the built up thatch (dead bits) that have accumulated over the summer. Lawn drainage can be improved by aerating it with a fork (or a special machine) and a gentle top-dressing so come spring it’ll be ready to grow.

Remember it may be winter but it’s never really too early to plan for the spring. A rough idea of what you would like in your garden can be worked on over the next few months, either by yourself or with the help of an experienced garden designer, so when spring does come around you don’t spend all that important early growing period working out what it is you want to do.

If you think any of it is beyond your skill –or you just simply don’t want to do it– then consult a landscaping expert. At worst you could be watching someone else do all the hard work this winter while you’re tucked up nice and warm inside!