Home Improvement Blog

The winter months are traditionally a down time for gardeners. However, despite the desolate
weather in February, there are plenty of things for a gardener to do in order to ensure that the
garden is attractive enough even for a romantic stroll through its greenery on Valentines Day.

Preparation for the perfect winter garden starts in the autumn months.
Tidying the garden, sweeping leaves and composting them are ideal jobs to do in autumn and early
winter to ensure it looks its best throughout the winter season and that it is easier to re commence
work again in the spring and produce Valentines flowers. Also repairing arbours and trellises where plants may be established
is better to do in the cooler seasons, hopefully providing as least damage as possible to the dormant
plants. Finally, now is the time to take stock of the garden, to assess what is working well and which
plants are too invasive or ugly and which require digging up and composting. All these little jobs will
help to make the garden look its best during winter festivals such as Valentines Day and hopefully
provide a few Valentines flowers.

The best winter garden that can ensure Valentines flowers thrive is a south facing garden, preferably
a garden which receives as much sunlight as possible in the mean winter months. It is also necessary
to prepare the soil in the garden correctly. Making sure that there is sufficient drainage within the
garden. Adding sand or an organic compost will improve the drainage. This will send flowers shooting up.

Planting the most appropriate shrubs, bushes and trees in a winter garden is the key to the perfect
winter garden. All year round greenery is always welcomed when the weather is cold, icy and snowy.
Examples of Ideal evergreen plants are firs, cypresses, boxwood and juniper. Ornamental plants are
also great for a winter garden, hardy grasses such as pampas grass or northern sea oats are good
options. Vegetables such as broccoli are winter thriving plants are often ornamental too.

Quite often gardeners receive gifts of winter flowering plants for their homes or gardens. For a loved
one to send flowers or a potted plant is an ideal gift. Such gifts could be hardy evergreen primroses,
cyclamen or early crocuses. Other plants that can provide colour in a winter garden are those with
berries. Holly and hawthorn are good examples of these. This year for Valentines Day make sure
you send flowers to your loved one but, to show you care; one can also produce the perfect winter
garden.