Winter Jobs In The Garden

Tuesday, 18 February 2014

It looks like Spring hasn’t arrived quite yet but you know me, always desperate to get outside in the garden. There are always jobs to do, whatever time of year it is. I know ‘cos Mummy is always telling Daddy all about them 😉 So here is a list of winter jobs in the garden that can be done, both for grown ups (ie Daddy) or for littlies like me, in between rain showers…

Get wrapped up cosy and get outside. It’s fun!
Clearing the veg beds out is a perfect job for winter.

Jobs for Grown Ups

• Jet-wash patios, driveways and decking (just like me they get terribly mucky and need a good wash!)
• Seal your deck and stain timber fences, sheds, raised beds etc (this preserves them and keeps them looking good for many years to come.)
• Paint anything that looks a bit tired such as rendering to the back of the house, rendered troughs etc. Why not choose a cool colour? Mummy is painting our troughs pink this winter, which I think is awesome!
• Mulch the garden – whether you choose compost, farmyard manure (pooeeee!), your leaf mulch or some bark, they will add essential nutrients to your garden and make plants grow well this year. Don’t forget to top-dress any pots too.
• Clear out gutters. Be careful up those ladders though.
• Prune trees (though not plum and cherry trees which should wait until summer.)

Mummy is going to paint these troughs pink.
Awesome. Wonder if she will add some glitter too…

• Clean out your water butt (ha ha, I said butt!)
• Prepare any new ground and do some double digging (I am happy to sit that one out, that’s proper hard work!)
• Make any repairs which are required to paths, sheds etc.
• Plant bare root trees, hedges and shrubs.
• Cut back overgrown shrubs and hedging before nesting period begins
• Use what’s lying about to make some interesting features around the garden. We are going to make some cool containers out of some old van tyres that we have and a bird table out of some old pallets and some cedar shingle samples. Watch this space…

Jobs for Littlies

• Clean old pots and seed trays. You will need these for the next job…
• Help sow seeds in trays. I am helping sow tomatoes, pumpkins, nasturtiums, sweet peas and cosmos to name but a few.
• Get your potatoes chitting! This means placing them on a chitting tray (or some empty egg cartons) in a cool, light place so their “eyes” start to grow. Weird!

I’ve already got out potatoes chitting
away

• Help clean the garden tools and get the shed/greenhouse ship shape for Spring.
• Give the garden a good general tidy. I like doing jobs like “combing” the ornamental grasses which takes out dead bits. It’s like being a hairdresser!
• Feed the birds. Our feathered friends need even more TLC in winter so make sure their feeders are full and clean.
• Clear out the veg patch ready for the new crops which will be sown soon.
• Run around and have lots of fun!