Seasonal Solutions: Expert Winter Services for Plant Health
Winter is the perfect time to hire a professional gardening services. Whilst our gardens or estates may appear dormant, this period offers unique opportunities for proactive care and strategic planning that can set the stage for a vibrant and healthy garden come spring. In this article, we will be discussing all the ways that you can ensure your plants stay healthy during the colder months.
Winter Pruning Techniques
In the winter, we can sometimes accidentally neglect our gardens. This is due to many planting, trees and shrubs going into hibernation for the season. However, this doesn’t mean that taking care of your garden should stop. Winter pruning is a specialised service which is designed to promote optimal growth and shape whilst still protecting your plants from the harsh winter conditions.
Pruning serves to eliminate dead or dying branches, creating space for fresh growth. Additionally, it acts as a deterrent against animal and pest infestations, fostering the plant’s natural development and form.
By selectively trimming, trees and shrubs can concentrate their energy on generating new leaves rather than unchecked growth in undesirable areas. Neglecting some plants over time may result in them becoming unruly, making pruning essential for maintaining control. Beyond its positive impact on growth, pruning also significantly enhances the aesthetic appeal of plants.
Soil Enrichment Strategies
In the winter, you can also explore soil enrichment strategies such as mulching and composting to fortify the soil. This will ensure the health of your soil throughout the winter and provide essential nutrients and insulations for the plant roots. But, what is the difference between these two strategies?
Mulching
The purpose of mulching is to provide a protective layer of material which can be applied to the soil surface. Adding mulch to your soil in the winter can be beneficial for many reasons, such as weed suppression, temperature regulation, moisture retention, and soil enrichment. When it comes to choosing your mulch, you can pick between organic and inorganic. Inorganic can be gravel or stone, whereas organic uses more natural materials such as straw, leaves or wood chips.
Composting
The purpose of composting is to have a decomposition of organic matter into nutrient-rich humus. Adding compost to the soil improves its structure, fertility, and water retention. In the winter, composting can become a little more tricky, but we would recommend covering your compost bin to protect it from excessive moisture and cold temperatures. You could also have your gardening team turn the compost regularly to aerate it and promote the breakdown of materials.
Preventing Winter Pests
Also in the winter, if you are not taking care of your garden correctly, you may notice some unwelcome visitors. Pests can affect the general plant health and appearance of your garden if action is not taken. Here is a list of winter pests to look out for:
- Aphids
These are small, soft-bodied insects that often cluster on the undersides of leaves. To keep these out of your garden, you can encourage their predators to pay a visit. Ladybugs eat aphids and will therefore act as a natural way to keep these pests at bay. However, during the winter, much like plants, ladybugs tend to hibernate. The other way to prevent Aphids taking over your garden is to ensure you have a professional gardening team that will keep your garden clear in the winter.
- Whiteflies
Whiteflies are tiny flying insects which resemble small moths. If these little critters have been on your plants, you will be sure to notice as they often leave a white, powdery residue on leaves behind them. To prevent these bugs from taking over your garden, you can again encourage their natural predators into your outdoor space. By calling on parasitic wasps, you will have a whitefly-free garden in no time. You could also use yellow sticky traps to catch adult whiteflies.
- Rodents
Rats, mice, and other rodents can damage plants by gnawing on bark and digging. To prevent these fluffy animals from eating your plants and ruining your outdoor space, it’s important to keep the garden clean, remove debris, and use traps or bait stations strategically placed to minimise rodent activity.
How To Enjoy Your Garden In The Winter
Artful Hardscaping
In the winter, there is still a lot of potential for spectacular winter garden design, including hard landscaping choices. Elements such as pathways, sculptures and structures can create visually stunning focal points which can ensure that you can enjoy your garden, even once the traditional blooms are done.
For example, you could incorporate sculptures, statues, or other artistic structures that can withstand the harsh and unpredictable winter weather. From our expert opinion, we would recommend materials like metal, stone, and concrete.
These are all durable choices and if positioned strategically, will create eye-catching focal points throughout a large estate or garden. You can also consider sightlines from indoor spaces to create visual interest even when the garden is not in full bloom.
Illuminate Your Garden
When plants are hibernating in winter, it’s easy for our gardens to appear unexciting and dull. We would recommend adding in some lightening which will make a world of difference aesthetically to your garden or large estate.
According to this article from Ideal Home, the first thing to consider is durability, ‘permanent garden lighting ideas need to be able to withstand whatever challenges the weather can throw at them’.
As well as ensuring your lighting lasts throughout the harsh weather conditions, you may also want to think about how you can incorporate them into your current garden design. Also in this article, it is suggested that your garden design team should ‘incorporate architectural lights into the spaces’ borders’. Strategic lighting techniques will not only enhance the beauty of a garden but also provide a warm and inviting atmosphere during the darker months.
Bird-Friendly Landscaping
During winter, you can also embrace the charm of winter bird watching by creating a bird-friendly garden. To do this, you can set up food and shelter for the birds, as well as explore plant selections that they will love. This will turn your outdoor space into a haven for local bird species.
All year round, birds play a crucial role in maintaining plant health but even more so in the winter months. They can help with everything from pest control to seed distribution. Inviting birds in will not only help with the general plant health in your outdoor space, but it also creates another way for you to enjoy your garden in the winter.
This article from Garden Design lists the perfect guide for flowers and plants that birds thoroughly enjoy – even in winter! For example, they mention how Black-Eyed Susans will bloom late July until the frost and offer a ’great food source for a variety of seed-eating birds, including goldfinches, chickadees, cardinals, and white-breasted nuthatches’. Also, Zinnias are great for goldfinches as well, as they ‘are particularly fond of the seeds and will even pluck off the lingering petals to get a tasty snack’.
Professional Gardening Services For Winter
In the winter, hiring a gardening team can be extremely beneficial. If you want to enjoy your garden come spring, the preparation starts now. Here at BZ Gardens, we can help you with everything from winter pruning, to general garden maintenance. If you would like to speak to one of our team members, you can reach us on 01483 967160 or drop us an email at info@bzgardens.co.uk.