After the rush of Spring planting, and the peak of Summer’s bountiful harvest, it’s tempting to shut your garden’s gates and let nature take its course as we head into the colder months. However, if you would like to reduce the amount of work facing you during this year’s Spring panting frenzy, it’s important to give your garden a bit of loving attention now before putting it to bed.

Although many plants, flowers and trees are showing their Autumn colours already and are preparing for the slower, colder months, May and June is the ideal time to start thinking about Winter protection for your garden, and how to maintain all the various annuals, bulbs, plants and vegetables that thrive in the colder temperatures.

With careful planning, you can ensure the success of your garden’s perennial fruits, vegetables, flowers, and trees, whilst setting the stage for roaring success in the Springtime.

Here are our top six tips for how to prepare your garden for the Winter with your favourite Lasher Tools in May and June.

1. Clean Up

While many plants won’t survive the freezing Winter temperatures, pests and parasites will. Most depleted plants can be left in place to rot and add nutrients to the soil or can be composted, however, if you noticed any signs of disease, pests or funguses during the growing season but didn’t have the time to act, now is the perfect time to remove them to ensure the health of your garden. This process can usually be done by hand, however, you can also call on your favourite Lasher Pruning Tools to help you remove even the most stubborn plants around your garden.

2. Start Weeding

It’s time to remove those invasive weeds! Try to remove them at the root to ensure that they don’t return next Spring. Most weeds remain viable and can even thrive in a compost heap or weed pile, so it’s best to resist the urge to simply shift them to another part of your garden. Removing invasive plants completely is the only way to prevent them from sprouting all over again and disrupting next year’s crop. For this, you can use your Lasher 3-Piece Garden Set to help you get the job done. The Lasher Hand Trowel and Hand Fork are perfect for removing larger weeds, whilst the Lasher Daisy Grubber helps to lever out long-rooted weeds with little disturbance to the surrounding surfaces.

3. Prepare Your Soil

Although many people typically reserve this activity for the Spring, now is a great time to add soil amendments like manure and compost, or organic fertilizers to add vital nutrients to your soil and garden beds. Add nutrients to your soil as we head into Winter using your favourite Lasher Shovel paired with the Lasher Domestic Fork, allowing time for these nutrients to start breaking down and enriching your soil throughout the colder months, well in time for Spring.

The next, and almost equally important step is to cover your soil with mulch. Rake up all the fallen leaves around the garden using your trusty Lasher Combination Rake and lay them on your garden beds. Mulching your soil is like giving it a much-needed blanket – it protects the roots from the cold, prevents frost, keeps in valuable moisture, and improves drainage.

4. Trim, Prune and Deadhead with Care

Now is a great time to trim some perennial garden plants, however, it is important to ensure that you choose the right ones. Once the leaves have fallen off the deciduous plants around your garden, it will be easier to see their overall shape, and pruning can be done accordingly. Dead-head Winter-flowering annuals using your Lasher Professional Secateur to encourage further flower growth during the colder months. Give your conifers a light trim if necessary using your favourite Lasher Kudu Shears, ensuring that you don’t cut into the old wood. Leave young or tender plants and evergreens until Spring to prune.

5. Harvest and Replenish Compost

With the heat of Summer now over, and nature’s microbes starting to settle in preparation for their Winter nap, you may be tempted to ignore your compost heap during the colder seasons. This would be a huge opportunity missed, as not only is the material composted over the Summer probably finished and ready to be used now, but using your leftover compost means making way for another batch, which — in most local regions — can be insulated against Winter’s chill. Your Lasher Wheelbarrow is the perfect tool for helping you move garden clippings, fallen Autumn leaves, straw, sawdust, and kitchen scraps to your new compost pile.

6. Clean, Sharpen and Pack Away Tools

Although most avid gardeners know that they should keep their favourite Lasher Tools clean and well-oiled throughout the year, it’s sometimes difficult to keep up with this task when gardening is in full swing throughout the warmer months, making now a great time to rejuvenate your tools by giving them some much-needed attention. Wash tools to remove dirt and debris, and make sure they are perfectly dry before storing. Sharpen tools where necessary using your Lasher Farmer’s File.

When the physical labour is finally complete, invest some mental effort into the approaching warmer seasons. Plan your garden and order your seeds and bulbs in advance to ensure that when the warmer weather rolls around, you’ll be set for a successful Spring planting season! Taken now, these steps will not only protect your garden from the cold weather, but also help to ensure that your Spring and Summer planting runs more smoothly, improving your garden over the long-term.