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Important Tasks in Gardening in Winter

All important tasks of gardening in winter. Because even in winter there is a lot to do in the garden and you can use the time.

When the days get shorter, it’s wet and cold outside and winter comes, there’s not much to do in the garden. Despite this, there are some important jobs in the garden that must also be carried out in winter. In the following article, we will show you which activities these are.

Gardening in winter is important

Many people mistakenly think that there will be no more gardening once winter has set in. The frost-sensitive plants were already protected from frost in autumn, the flower bulbs for the following spring were also planted and the trees and shrubs were also pruned. But even in winter, hobby gardeners have to do some important work so that the plants get through the winter well. In addition, you have to grit the sidewalk in winter, which should not be forgotten.

1) Remove snow

In winter it may be necessary to free the plants and shrubs from the snow load so that they do not break underneath (snow breakage). Care must be taken here to prevent the individual branches from breaking off when the snow is shaken off. The snow load can be swept away with the help of a small hand broom. Plants that are particularly susceptible to breakage should be tied together in advance.

2) Water potted plants

If the winter is very dry, evergreen plants should also be watered in the cold season when the ground is free of frost and snow. However, the addition of fertilizer should be avoided in winter. Potted plants that may have been kept indoors over the winter months also need water, albeit in reduced quantities.

3) Cut down trees

If there are trees in the garden that have to be felled, this project should definitely be carried out in winter. At this time of year, the trees are completely stripped of their leaves and there is no longer any sap in them. The wood can then be processed into firewood afterward. Or if there is a coniferous tree in the garden and it is big enough, it can serve as a Christmas tree. Then the whole family can decorate the Christmas tree.

4) Winter bloomers in the garden

Many different, particularly decorative winter flowering bulbs are available for garden design in winter, but they must be planted on the spot in spring. Christmas roses, crocuses, snowdrops, winter jasmine, witch hazel, and many evergreen plants such as ivy, boxwood, and conifers are among the hardy plants and ensure a handsome garden picture even in the cold season. However, these plants also need a little attention in winter. The winter bloomers also have to be freed from the snow load and the branches of climbing plants may have to be tied to climbing aids in order to stabilize them.

5) Maintain machines and tools

Because there is generally less to do in winter, the opportunity can be used to get all machines, devices, and tools in good shape. In addition, read about the important equipment needed for gardening.

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Lifestyle

Gardening Equipment Tips

So that gardening remains accident-free and enjoyable, you need good shoes and practical clothing. This guide explains what is important when making a purchase.

Shoes and clothes have to endure a lot when gardening. Dirt, weather, and movement demand a lot from the materials. To ensure that working outdoors is fun and safe, you should not skimp on the purchase of your personal work equipment. But what do you have to pay attention to in detail in order to benefit from practical, durable, and comfortable accessories? The answers are below.

What is important in garden shoes?

There are various shoes for gardening, such as garden clogs, low shoes, rubber boots, or ankle-high safety shoes. Each footwear has individual advantages and disadvantages and is therefore suitable for other activities:

  • Garden clogs: They are ideal for simple errands such as weeding or planting flowers. When buying, the value should be placed on non-slip soles, weather resistance, robustness, and heel straps. In midsummer, models with openings to ventilate the feet can be beneficial. However, small stones and dirt also get inside the clogs very quickly. Closed alternatives are usually the better companions.
  • Rubber boots: Perfect for rainy days or damp surfaces. The feet stay dry in them and with appropriate insoles and inner materials also warm. A non-slip rubber sole is indispensable because when it gets wet in the garden there is an increased risk of slipping!
  • Work shoes: Closed-toe safety shoes are the better choice for garden work that involves a certain risk to your feet, for example when handling a spade or hedge trimmer. They protect the foot from bumps, cuts, and falling or sharp objects. However, the ergonomics must be right in order to benefit from a comfortable fit. Non-slip soles and toe caps made of robust materials are recommended. Models that go over the ankle are suitable for heavy work such as sawing wood or similar, while maximum support is required.
  • Safety shoes: They must be worn whenever dangerous machines or equipment are used, such as an ax or chain saw.

Workwear tips

Garden workwear needs to be comfortable, practical, durable, easy to care for, and comfortable. Under no circumstances should trousers, T-shirts, sweaters, and jackets restrict movement. That would significantly reduce the fun of working and even increase the risk of accidents. Stretchy materials with elastane content would be an advantage. At the same time, breathable textiles that wick sweat away as quickly as possible are essential. Pure cotton is not one of them. The natural fiber absorbs moisture quickly but has problems releasing it quickly into the environment. Material mixtures of cotton and microfibers are therefore recommended. They combine the positive properties of several fibers in one product. And these materials are also easy to wash. So if your clothes get very dirty when you work in the garden, you can clean your work clothes well.

Garden pants

Whether dungarees or normal trousers is a matter of taste. Dungarees make wearing a belt unnecessary, which is quite annoying when you constantly bend over. Basically, work trousers with practical pockets are ideal. Ideally, smaller tools such as pruning shears or a knife can be safely stowed away in it. Reinforced seams and integrated knee pads are ideal for garden trousers. While the reinforced seams maximize the durability of the pants, the padding protects the knees, which are quickly affected and hurt when weeding or planting. Also, note how you can easily remove grass stains from your garden trousers.

Garden jacket

To be protected from bad weather, it is always good to have a windproof and waterproof jacket at hand. It makes working in the open air more pleasant in rain, fog, or wind. In winter, jackets with sufficient protection against the cold are a must. A suitable insulation layer prevents the body from cooling down. Garden lovers can also keep warm with moisture-repellent and insulating hats.

Garden gloves

Gloves are a crucial piece of workwear for home gardeners. They should have the following details:

  • abrasion-resistant inner surfaces
  • breathable textile fabric
  • reinforced and non-slip fingers and insides
  • perfect fit
  • reinforced seams
  • water-repellent surfaces

Incidentally, high-quality gardening gloves only limit your dexterity minimally. They guarantee the usual sensitivity and make precise handling possible. If you want to enjoy additional safety, you can use puncture-resistant and cut-resistant protective gloves.

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Lifestyle

Insect-friendly Gardening

Butterflies, wild bees, beetles and many other genera are beautiful species, but above all they are immensely important for our ecosystem and therefore worthy of protection. The little crawling friends are indispensable as pollinators for useful plants but also as a food source for birds, amphibians or hedgehogs.

Everyone can do something against insect mortality!
In times of nationwide monoculture with high use of pesticides as well as dense development and the associated sealing of surfaces in cities, but also the new trend “stone surfaces”, insects in this country are increasingly lacking a basis for life.

The good news:
It is not at all difficult to design your own garden or balcony in such a way that the insects find a suitable basis for life: create a rich supply of food and housing.

Every flower and shelter, no matter how small, has a big effect on the small flying and crawling animals.

These 8 tips will feed you insects!

1. Turn part of your lawn into a flower meadow

A lawn is better than an area filled with pebbles, but there is hardly any difference in the food supply for Maya the Bee and Co. Without further ado, turn part of the lawn into a wildflower meadow. To do this, let the plants grow wild in a few corners. Maybe you’ll get wild carrots, evening primroses or an impressive spear thistle. Alternatively, you can create a flower meadow professionally.

2. Let it bloom – from spring to autumn!

Insects need a rich supply of food not only selectively, but throughout the warm months. If you have the opportunity to create a garden or a border of perennials, then make sure that the plants alternate in their flowering phase throughout the season. This not only pleases the insects, but also your eyes.

3. Better a colorful home game than exotic ones

The more diverse the types of flowers, the better. You should give preference to native varieties, because our insects can generally do more with them than with exotic representatives.

4. Lush splendor does not necessarily fill you up

Basically, you should avoid lush flowers: They attract insects with their colors, but offer them almost no food. Unfortunately, the situation is very similar with the yellow-flowering forsythia, like many common ornamental flowers, they are unfortunately not insect-friendly.

5. Plant plants that are rich in nectar and pollen

Wild mallow, meadow sage, meadowsweet, columbine, viper’s bugloss, night violet, soapwort or loosestrife – but also various types of clover or buckhorn, which can be found in many lawns, have a good food supply for insects.

6. Twice as good: herbs and edible flowers

Many herbs or edible flowers have great flowers – so you have something for the kitchen as well. Examples are oregano, lavender, thyme, chives, mint, dill, marigold or nasturtium.

7. Plant fruit trees instead of ornamental trees

Fruit provides the insects with plenty of food during the flowering period. So plant fruit trees in your garden. Raspberry, blackberry, cherry or apple provide both you and the insects with a set table. By the way: Some butterflies and other insects also like to suck and eat fallen and “bad” fruit.

8. Share wild herbs and vegetables with caterpillars

Butterflies also need food plants for their caterpillars. The stinging nettle provides the basis for many species. So don’t remove them if you have them in the garden. With a bit of luck, the colorful caterpillars of the beautiful swallowtail can be found on your carrots, fennel or other umbelliferae.

It’s not that difficult to take action yourself and get our insects under the six legs. And it’s worth it in many ways. At the latest when you hear the birds singing and there is humming and buzzing around you, it is a good feeling to have played a part.

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health

Gardening is Healthy

Gardening combines several health-promoting aspects at once and thus noticeably increases the quality of life. We experience that firsthand at my harvest. For all those new to gardening and those interested, here are 7 reasons why the garden keeps us physically and mentally healthy.

1. Outdoor Gym

Bending, weeding, plucking, lifting, loosening, fetching water and, of course, harvesting your own vegetables – all these activities require movement sequences that are also found in our everyday life, this is called functional training. The entire body is stretched and stretched and the most diverse muscle groups are active in alternation – that makes and keeps you fit!

2. Outdoor cardio training

400 calories an hour

Exercising in the garden stimulates blood circulation, similar to average endurance or cardio training such as walking or light jogging. Everyone decides for themselves how far they want to go – when digging, for example, you can work up a sweat and burn up to 400 calories per hour. As a result, in addition to the sporting effect, you are even rewarded with flowers and crunchy vegetables!

3. It doesn’t get any fresher

Regional, seasonal, wonderful!

“Eat lots of healthy vegetables!” Doctors and health institutes advise us again and again. Nowhere are vegetables fresher and tastier than from your own garden and they are also pesticide-free. We know where it comes from, we eat seasonally and often save ourselves the trip to the supermarket. If you cook, you are even supplied all year round.

4. Breathe in, breathe out – lived mindfulness

Anyone who has ever pulled weeds, planted seeds, or simply observed a ladybug on a lettuce leaf can attest to how focused it is on living “in the here and now.” The big trend of mindfulness or yoga becomes a practice in the garden. A true recovery cure for our often overwhelmed senses. Anyone who works in the garden can leave the meditation cushion at home!

5. Bio lessons from Mother Nature

Whether you’re a garden newbie or an old hand – you constantly learn new things with and from the garden and anchor what you’ve learned through practical experience, for example if a pest appears and we want to find out what to do. Ensuring that a tiny seed grain becomes a high-yield, strong plant – dealing with the diverse challenges of a garden keeps the mind alert and expands our wealth of knowledge.

6. Social cohesion

Whether in the family, with friends or with garden neighbors – when gardening together we share our goals and successes. We exchange ideas, pass on tried-and-tested recipes, work together with our children. We gain appreciation for community and nature and “create” something new together. What better way to strengthen relationships?

7. Happy hormones for free

Being in nature relaxes us, brings the mind into balance – fresh oxygen, sun exposure (production of vitamin D), perception of natural light and colors, the feeling of earth on the hands: In the open air we can switch off, become creative and – as numerous studies confirm – happier. If you don’t want to read studies, you will find the proof of garden happiness in the faces of proud gardeners by harvest time at the latest…

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