Get your garden through winter without work in spring

When the first frost comes, it is tempting to close the back door and forget the garden until spring. But a few hours of work in late autumn save you broken pipes, cracked pots and a lot of tidying in March.

Empty everything that holds water

Water expands when it freezes. Anything that holds water can crack or burst. Empty the rain barrel and open its tap, so ice can’t damage it. Drain the garden hose, roll it up and bring it inside. The wall-mounted hose reel lifts off its bracket with one hand, so the whole thing can go into the shed. Take the spray nozzle off and store it inside too.

Turn the outside tap off from inside the house, if you can, and open it outside to let the last water out.

Protect the pond pump

Take the pond pump out of the water before the first hard frost. Rinse the pre-filter and store the pump in a bucket of water in a frost-free place. That keeps the seals from drying out.

Pots and planters

Our terracotta plant pots are fired to be frost resistant, but only if they don’t stand in water. Lift them onto pot feet or bricks, and empty the saucers. The same goes for the glazed plant pots. Move tender plants, like rosemary in a small pot, against a sheltered wall.

Leave the leaves, but not everywhere

Fallen leaves on a lawn block light and cause bare patches. Rake them off the grass. But in the borders, leaves are welcome. They protect the soil, feed worms and give insects a place to spend the winter. Put the rest in the compost bin 300 liters. Mixed with kitchen waste, they make rich compost by next autumn.

Clean and oil your tools

Sap and soil on tools cause rust. Before you hang them up for winter, clean the bypass pruning shears, the hand hedge shears, the hand hoe and the garden trowel. Dry them, and put a drop of oil on the blades and the hinges. Hang them on the garage wall rack for garden tools, so nothing lies on a damp floor.

Feed the birds

Winter is hard for birds. A hanging bird feeder near a window brings them close, and it is a pleasure to watch on a gray morning. Keep it clean and full from November to March.

Plan for spring

Finally, plant spring bulbs before the ground freezes. With the bulb planter with foot rest, a hundred tulips go in without bending. In March, they will be the first color in the garden, and you will be glad you did the work now.