Winter may be a quieter season for your garden, but for your landscaping, it’s a critical time.
The frost, wind and saturated soil that winter brings can detract from the months of care that you’ve put into your garden, if you don’t help it out.
That’s why with a handful of landscaping jobs, you can protect your garden during the winter and prepare it for an effortless spring.
At Winslade Landscapes, we bring meticulous care and an eye for detail to winter maintenance. Our Garden Care Plan is built on the idea of tailored seasonal work that keeps your outdoor space flourishing year-round.
In this blog, we’ll cover why winter garden maintenance matters and 5 essential cold-weather jobs you can do to make the most significant difference.
Why Winter Garden Maintenance Matters
The cold winter weather can be quite harsh on your plants and garden structures, as plant growth slows and soil becomes more vulnerable to compaction and waterlogging.
If you want to protect them and ensure a healthier, vibrant garden in the spring, winter maintenance is key.
Keeping up with your winter care helps you:
- Prevent damage to your planting
- Protect your patios, paths, decking, and walls from staining and frost wear
- Ensure your garden looks tidy
- Keep your garden safe and usable
- Improve soil health, ready for spring
Small tweaks in the winter will save you time, money and stress and prepare your garden to fulfil its utmost potential when the warmer weather comes.
5 Essential Cold-Weather Maintenance Jobs
Here are our recommendations for the 5 most essential garden maintenance jobs you should make time for this winter:
1. Protect & Rebalance Soil
Your soil determines how well your garden will perform next year as it holds moisture and supports your plants’ roots.
Since the UK weather tends to be both cold and wet, your soil can become compacted, stripped of nutrients and leave your roots exposed. This is why taking care of your soil’s health is one of the key jobs we do during maintenance visits.
Start by mulching your borders and any new planting areas with compost or well-rotted manure, laid 5-8cm deep. Focus on exposed beds or newly planted shrubs, as these will be the most damaged by frost and are vulnerable to nutrient loss.
Keep mulch away from your plants’ stems to prevent crown rot.
2. Winter Pruning for Structure & Long-Term Form
Winter is the perfect time to refine your garden’s framework. It allows you to truly see the bones of your garden and precisely check the lines of your shrubs, climbers and trees.
Deciding what to prove should be a selective approach rather than going for everything.
Prune any dormancy-friendly plants such as roses, wisteria, apple and pear trees, and many deciduous shrubs. Spend some time removing any diseased, dead or crossing branches to open up airflow through dense plants.
In terms of shape and design, keep sightlines clean, maintain symmetry, and ensure your planting doesn’t compete with paths or patios.
If you’d like some support with your pruning, get in touch with Winslade Landscapes to discuss our Garden Care Plan today.
3. Safeguard Hard Landscaping
Winter tests your hard landscaping: leaf tannins can stain your paving, algae can make stone slippery, and blocked drainage can cause pooling that damages surfaces over time.
To protect your hard landscaping, focus on these areas:
- Keep Paved Areas Clear of Leaves & Debris: This helps avoid staining and slippery surfaces.
- Rinse or Lightly Clean Decking & Patios: During mild spells, take the time to give your decking and patios a quick rinse to keep their finish fresh.
- Sweep Joints & Gravel Margins: Sweeping helps prevent organic matter from breaking down into moss-friendly compost.
- Avoid Pressure Washing in Freezing Periods: It might seem like a good idea, but it can force water into joints that later expands.
4. Manage Water Flow & Drainage
Waterlogging is a major problem that occurs in winter, as it destroys your grass, stresses roots, stains paving, and undermines your structures.
When there’s frequent rain and not much evaporation, your garden’s water system needs to be working properly.
To support your water system, clear the drains, channels and gullies of leaf litter and silt, and aerate compacted lawn areas with a garden fork during milder spells to improve infiltration.
Some checks you can carry out include looking at your downpipes and run-off routes to ensure water is moving away from the house and main planting areas.
Also, look for pooling on patios or lawns; if it persists for more than a day or two, it’s a sign the fall or sub-base needs attention.
5. Protect & Aftercare Soft Landscaping
Even when your garden isn’t flowering, soft landscaping is still important. However, the priority shifts to protection and establishment.
Your newly planted gardens, fresh turf, and container schemes all need a little extra support to survive the cold, wet weather.
We recommend using horticultural fleece to shield your more tender plants. You can also move containers into sheltered positions and raise them on pot feet to help with drainage.
Remember to water your evergreens during dry winter spells, as wind can dry them out even when it’s cold.
Want a Helping Hand This Winter?
We hope this guide has helped you understand the key winter maintenance jobs your garden needs to thrive.
If you love your garden but don’t fancy battling winter jobs, our Garden Care Plan is perfect for you. It’s a dedicated horticultural partnership, tailored to your garden, your lifestyle, and the season.
From lawn mastery to soil enrichment, hedge perfection, and patio revival, we keep your outdoor space in peak condition through winter, protecting every detail so your garden enters spring already ahead of the curve.
Get in touch with our team today, and let’s look after your landscape together.