Head Gardener’s top-tips for Winter gardening

December 06 2019 | Garden

As the cold weather sets in, Head Gardener Neil has put together his top-tips for winter gardening. Plants need cold weather as part of their life cycle, the cold weather lets plants know it’s time to stop growing, but some need further protection.   

Top-tips for dealing with frost:

1. Don’t walk on frosty grass, as it will kill it and you’ll be left with yellow foot prints.
2. Be careful where you put salt down, it can be very corrosive and can kill foliage.

Top-tips for dealing with snow:

1. Don’t worry too much about knocking off snow from your plants, it acts as an insulator and will keep them warm. 
2. However do knock it off any ornamental plants such as yew trees, otherwise the weight of the snow will affect the shape. 
3. Bring tender plants indoors. At Hever Castle this means bringing in the Citrus plants.
4. If you are going to keep plants outside make sure you put either a horticultural fleece over vulnerable plants or use chicken wire and straw around the top of the plant to protect it.

Always keep an eye-out for cold weather, but only step in where you need to, most plants need the cold, and will be reawakened by the sun in the spring.

Discover more about Hever’s gardens here.