It’s cold and wet and you probably don’t want to be out in the garden this month. However, gardens left to their own natural devices could end up creating more work for you next spring. Follow our top tips to repair and remove now so you can restart on the best foot next season.

Starting on the right foot: Remove

Clean out and remove old vegetation, rake leaves, cut back dying plants and bushes, clear poor compost and repair any dilapidated structures. This will keep your garden looking tidy over winter and will save you some work next spring.

Clean up diseased plants

A yard full of unhealthy plants may produce a climate that is detrimental to any fresh bulbs or seeds you have planted. We recommend digging out any rotting plants as soon as possible to guard against erosion and ward off pests and fungi.

Sort out your shed

You were so busy during the summer and fall that you neglected to remember where you keep all of your key tools—the shed! Winter is the ideal season to organise. Take stock of the tools you have and don't have and organise by designating sections in your shed for tasks like raking, planting, and grass care. Also check the condition of your tools and whether you might need to replace some before you need them!

Give your garden some love: Repair

The beauty of nature is that you can always rescue some of your garden. Saving and correcting your work or tools might sometimes be a more affordable solution to problems you may be having. If possible, it's a terrific approach to make the most of what you already have and is more sustainable than simply throwing everything away.

Regenerate your compost

Heat is a powerful tool when it comes to nature’s microbes, they love the stuff. During the colder months, it can be harder to create compost but not impossible - so don’t start throwing food waste away thinking you can no longer use it! Get ahead and start creating compost for next spring by moving your compost pile to an area of the garden that gets some sun and use layers of leaves, straw and sawdust to help keep heat in..

Clean and sharpen your tools

For healthy garden grass, flowers, bedding, and structures, you need the correct tools to get the job done. While working on your garden throughout the summer, it can be laborious to stay on top of tool maintenance. In order to prolong tool and machinery life in the long run, we advise cleaning and sharpening tools over the winter months when you need them the least. Remove any rust, sharpen and add lubrication to get your tools sparkling and ready to go. Remember to add Fuel Fit to any petrol engines to prevent erosion during storing and ensure they start first time next season.

Get into spring: Restart

Restarting your cherished garden for the upcoming year is an exciting time. There are certain things to think about moving forward, whether you've fallen behind on your gardening goals or want to improve on your hard work this year. The work for next spring starts now!

Divide and plant bulbs ready for spring next year

Plant spring flowering bulbs to like daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, and lilies before the ground freezes. These produce the most striking displays that are both lovely and simple to maintain. They add a flash of colour when positioned in bedding borders or in designated showcase spots around your garden. Your previously planted spring bulbs will have died back by this point, so if you do discover any that can be saved, replant them and divide them throughout different areas of your garden to give them ample room to grow.

Start planning ahead

Plan carefully, then plan some more. Yes, having a plan prepared for the following year is the greatest approach to achieving your gardening goals! Do you want a garden full of colourful flowering beauties, maybe you want to grow your own veg, or perhaps you want to build the best habitat for wildlife? Whatever your goals, make sure to research and plan ahead of time. This will help ensure you have done all the prep work required to avoid disappointment.

And finally, remember gardening is meant to be fun! So while it may feel like hard work sometimes, it’s so worth it when you smell those flowering petals, see a fluttering butterfly or take your first bite of your own homegrown veg. Not sure what you want to do with your garden next year? Get some inspiration from our other gardening articles here or follow us on Facebook for more tips!