STEP BY STEP Protect your garden from winter weather
Take steps to protect your garden from the physical damage that can be caused during a period of very cold weather. Plants are vulnerable to leaf scorch from cold winds and freezing temperatures, but protecting a plant’s main growing point or crown is the priority. Good drainage and the shelter of a warm wall will also help.
1 MAKE a temporary fleece tent around plants that are vulnerable to scorch. You can use garden twine to keep the fleece in place and pegs to attach it to the outer branches. 2 SHOVEL snow off the paths to make them safe. If snow freezes it can become an ice rink, so grit the paths or sweep off any patches of dusty snow that are left behind. 3 USE a long cane to push heavy layers of snow off shrubs and hedges. Evergreens hold much more weight and the tops can easily snap under the strain, so do those first. 4 BRUSH snow off the greenhouse roof. A heavy layer of snow can cause damage to your greenhouse frame and it also blocks the sunlight that your plants need. VISIT gardenersworld. com/how-to/diy for advice on do-it-yourself garden projects