Winter 2022Gardening tips for winter

Despite the chill of approaching winter, there’s still plenty to do in the garden to keep it looking good and to protect plants from any frosts.

About the writer
Roy Down is an engagement and development worker at Petrus as well as the chairman of Rochdale In Bloom. His role at Petrus is to help improve the mental health and wellbeing of volunteers through gardening, as well as those referred via NHS social prescribing.

Taking care of plants

With the chance of frost on the increase, it’s important to protect tender plants by bringing them inside or putting them in a greenhouse. If you can’t bring them indoors, wrap them in fleece to keep them safe from the cold.

Clean and clear

The leaves have changed to beautiful autumnal colours – and now they’re falling off the trees in abundance! Clear dead leaves from your garden and add them to your compost pile. If you have a grass lawn, give it a final cut of the year to keep it looking neat and tidy. It’s also a good time to prune back roses and tidy up and cut back any ornamental grasses and bamboo plants.

Looking after wildlife

Winter can be tough on wildlife, with food becoming hard to find. Give birds, such as house sparrows and goldfinches, a tasty meal by leaving seedheads on herbaceous plants like fennel and echinacea. If possible, leave mature ivy, which will provide nectar and pollen for insects and berries for birds. Some species of butterfly will use the leaves for roosting and hibernation.

What to plant

You don’t need to wait for spring to start planting – get a head start by sowing in November. Plant crocus bulbs and tulips, ready for the bees when the seasons change. Give bare-root fruit trees a head start by planting apple, pear, cherry and plum trees – they’ll get a full season’s growth if planted now! If you fancy adding alpines to your garden, December is a good month to plant alpine seeds. The seeds need a spell of cold weather to allow stratifying (so seeds can germinate later on) to take place. Try to avoid any areas that may get waterlogged.

Harvest your crop

When the days get shorter, harvest any root vegetables that are still in the ground, including leeks, parsnips and other remaining vegetables. December is a good time to move shrubs around and the digging and lifting will keep you warm! Prune any pear or apple trees that need tidying up.

Green fingers, no garden?

Head over to Petrus PIER, our community allotment on Belfield Road, Rochdale, OL16 2UP. There’s always lots going on and we’d love to see you there.