During the fine weather this summer many of us will have invested some time (and no little amount of money) in making our garden a wonderful place to sit out and enjoy. How sad it would be if winter rains spoil things for next year. Gardening enthusiast members of Southwell Flood Forum have suggested a few ideas we can follow to prepare our gardens to withstand the wet winter weather now in prospect.
The key to maintaining the health of your garden through the winter is to ensure it is resilient to heavy rain. First priority is to look after your soil. Healthy soil, with plenty of organic matter, will drain more freely than hard, compacted ground. Improve and enrich borders by adding compost or leaf mould. A thick layer of mulch will help regulate soil moisture, and this has the added benefit of suppressing weeds.
Grow plants that are happy in wet ground. Creeping Thyme will absorb excess water and prevent soil erosion, and trees such as willow and birch will draw up plenty of water from the soil.
Lawn health can be improved by spiking to aerate and help with drainage. Simply use a garden fork to create holes to a depth of about 10 cms working across and up and down the lawn, especially in compacted areas.
Also, don’t waste the winter rain; install water butts to collect and store the enriched water your garden will love when the drier weather returns.
