In the garden: winter to do list

With the very fresh mornings and shorter days, winter is well and truly here! It’s hard to spend lots of time in the garden, especially when the days are bleak! But when the sun is out, it's perfect garden weather!

While many of the plants have slowed down or are dormant, now is a great time to prepare the garden for spring and to get some structural things done in the garden.

Here are some jobs to get done in the garden this winter.

• Keep an eye on the weather and protect frost tender plants. I use a spray product called Envy.
• Prepare garden beds for spring planting. I mix decomposed sheep manure with soil and let it settle before planting.
• Plant bare root roses and trees. This is when they are in their dormant state and a cost effective alternative to purchasing in spring.
• Prune roses in late July. I remove a good third to two thirds of the plant and cut into a ‘U’ shape by removing growth in the centre of the plant.
• Spray roses after pruning with lime sulphur while plants are dormant. This helps protect from disease.
• Take cuttings or divide plants and replant in the garden or in pots. Think roses, salvias, Agastache, plumbago.
• Plant winter vegetables including carrots, beetroot, cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, baby spinach. Make sure to succession plant to ensure continued supply.
• Get a head start on Spring veggies and start tomatoes, corn, zucchini, cucumber in trays and keep them protected.
• Divide strawberries.
• Fertilise lawn ahead of rain and weed lawn to remove clover