Tips get outdoor space winter ready
Tips to get your outdoor space winter ready
As hard as we fight it, the cool weather of winter is on its way, but that doesn’t mean you need to lock yourselves inside and bunker down until it warms up again. With a few updates, you can enjoy your outdoor space all year round including winter. Here are our top tips to get your outdoor space ready just in time for winter.
Prepare your garden
Plants, especially non-indigenous varieties, can struggle in winter with the frost, cool temperatures and reduced sunlight. There are however several ways you can protect your plants by preparing your garden for winter. Spreading out a thick layer of mulch or compost in garden beds and vegetable patches can protect your plants against the cold. Ensuring your plants have adequate drainage and fertilising your lawn will also be beneficial. For those plants that are particularly sensitive to the cold and early morning frost, you can cover with plastic or cloth for protection. Potted plants can be moved into a greenhouse or indoors. Don’t forget to reduce the amount you water throughout winter as they will require less moisture.
Light it up
With winter comes shorter days and without lighting, you’re going to be spending little time outdoors in the evenings. Taking the time to properly plan the lighting for your garden can pay off it the long term. Not only will it allow you to continue to entertain outside in the colder months, it will also enhance the aesthetics of your garden from the interior.
Create an outdoor room
Creating an “outdoor room” can be a great way to extend the usage of your outdoor space. But, it doesn’t need to be a miniature house to be effective. You can define a space through the use of a pergola structure that’s roofed or enclosed with a creeper. You could use plants to screen off an area, protecting it from the cool winds. Or you could simply use furniture to define the space within the garden such as a lounge surrounding a fire pit. The key is to position the outdoor room in an area which is exposed to the winter sunshine and is sheltered from the wind. If you have space, it may also be worth considering placing it in the garden away from the house so that it becomes a destination.
Add warmth
A source of heat is a great way to extend the time you spend in the garden during the colder months and it can also add ambience. There are several options including overhead fixed strip heaters, mobile heater units, fire pits or built-in fireplaces. We recommend finding a heat source that will effectively warm up your outdoor space and become a focal point in your garden. One that can double as a cooking amenity is a great option for winter entertaining.
Get cosy
The old plastic outdoor table setting doesn’t tend to look all that inviting in the depths of winter. Instead, consider investing in a few key pieces that will allow you to snuggle up and get cozy, like our Nomah® lounge. Outdoor lounges and armchairs with a deep seat and soft cushions are very popular for relaxing in the garden all year round. You could also think about making your existing furniture more comfortable with cushions and seat pads. Adding a basket of wool blankets will also help keep you cozy.
