Prepare your garden for the changing seasons
Latest Interiors helps you to prepare your garden for the changing seasons
The leaves are falling, the nights are drawing in and British Summertime has come to an end. It’s time to get outdoors and get ready for winter.
Tidy up
First things first: have a good tidy up. Stock up your garden shed with rakes, shears and some heavy duty bags. Where annuals have flowered, bolted and generally breathed their last, remove them. Put away parasols, BBQs and garden furniture that won’t survive the winter season out of doors. Pull any weeds you find – with a bit of luck they won’t grow back (much) before the spring. You can also take the opportunity to dig and divide any perennials (plants that come up year after year), replant and space them out for more colour next summer.
Move, cut & prune
Now is the perfect time to move trees, shrubs and perennials. Move things that need relocating gently, having care for the roots, and ensuring they have plenty of space in their new home. Try not to worry over the winter months – you should be rewarded with green leaves in spring.
Now is also the time to prune. Trim your roses, shrubs and perennials. If you have a tree that’s growing out of control – some species, like sycamore, can grow to enormous heights if left unchecked – get the advice of a professional tree surgeon round about now.
Protect & plant
Now is also the time to protect any tender plants against winter’s cold nights – bring them under cover, or insulate them against the weather. Autumn is a good opportunity to fertilise and re-seed lawns – don’t expect too much growth, but it should all take shape in the spring – and plant bulbs for next spring. Once this is all done, you can hibernate in peace for the rest of winter.
Plants love rainwater and you can save money by collecting rain from your roof for garden watering. Southern Water’s efficiency advisor Paul Sear shows you how to install a water butt: www.southernwater.co.uk/Aboutus/videos/default.asp?iuid=76501920
Southern Water’s tip to help you save water, energy & money
Rainwater is best
•Making the most of water which falls on your home by capturing it in a water butt is a great way to reduce the amount of water you take from the tap.
•Most gardeners are familiar with water butts and use them regularly during the summer.
•The average rainfall in the South East of England is nearly 800mm (just over 30 inches). Even a small roof can help collect nearly 4,000 litres of water in a year – that’s enough to fill a large water butt 20 times.
•If you use a watering can filled from a water butt to water your garden, it should be enough to keep an average sized household garden flourishing all year.
Win!
Southern Water is offering Latest Homes readers a fantastic opportunity to win one of ten 190 litre water butts, including stand and downpipe connector – worth nearly £50 each.
To win a water butt, tell us: How many times can you fill a large water butt from a small roof each year?
Email competitions@thelatest.co.uk with ‘Southern Water’ in the subject box and your answer to the question in the body of the email. Don’t forget to leave you name and contact details. Alternatively, write to us at the address at the front of Latest 7.
Terms & Conditions: Only one entry per household. Employees of Southern Water are not eligible to enter. If you wish to participate in the water efficiency competition, the details provided will only be used for this competition and will not be sold, or otherwise disclosed unless we have a duty to do so. We may also use the details you provide to contact you with water saving information. Our Privacy Statement is available at www.southernwater.co.uk/privacy
Closing date for entries: 26 November 2012.
