If I’m being honest, winter comes as something as a relief. While I love being out in my garden, digging, planting and pruning, it’s good to have some time off and return to the warm embrace of the house.
Once the leaves have turned and the thermometer has taken a permanent dive, I prepare the garden for winter. As far as possible, I want my carefully tended plants, shrubs and trees to make it through to spring when I will welcome them back like old friends.
In previous years, the cold and wind have been my biggest enemies in the darkest months. More recently, it has been rain, and lots of it. So, a priority now is preventing root rot by ensuring the beds have decent drainage and the soil in pots has plenty of perlite and grit. I sit larger, heavier pots on feet so the water has somewhere to go, and squirrel smaller, more vulnerable containers under the roof of the potting area.
If you have a greenhouse, over-wintering vulnerable plants is relatively easy. I aspire to, one day, owning one of these beauties. When I do (a girl can dream), I’ll be following the advice of Gardener’s World and insulating it during winter, making sure any cracks around windows and doors are sealed, and covering glazed areas with bubble wrap. There are other ways to raise a greenhouse’s temperature including a heat sink, thermal curtains or a heater, but I’ll cross that horticultural bridge when I come to it.
Meanwhile, a cosy layer of fleece should help some of my species. It’s lightweight and lets water, light and air pass through. The RHS recommends removing covers during extended periods of very mild weather (to avoid sweating and rotting) and replacing them when the mercury drops. When spring finally shows up, it’s wise to take off the wrappings in stages to allow the plant to acclimatise.
But before I get busy with the fleece, I will prune trees and bushes, and jettison damaged, dead and diseased leaves and stems. The compost bin will receive a proper forking, helping the material to break down and spend winter morphing into marvellous mulch, and I’ll regularly trot up the garden to top up the bird feeders.
However, unlike my home’s interior, I will not be tidying the outside space. Insects need a place to overwinter and birds need nectar. Climbers provide hideaways for butterflies, and berries are valuable food for birds and mammals when the rest of the cupboard is bare. 
My grass will remain unmown, allowing shelter for wildlife, and fallen leaves will have all manner of uses, including liners for nests and burrows and safe spots for hedgehogs. Eventually, the detritus will disintegrate and transform into goodness for the soil beneath.
As for the inanimate items in the garden, chairs and tables are shipped off to my mum’s double garage for their winter hols, with a couple remaining shrouded in waterproof winter coats.
And what will I be doing? Curling up under my own fleecy blanket while winter does its worst.
