How to Make the Most of your Garden this Autumn / Winter

If you are like me and have young children, then you'll have likely spent most of the long Summer holidays enjoying your garden and outdoor spaces. You might have spent your days playing in a paddling pool and other outdoor toys, and enjoying bbqs and eating outside in the early evening sunshine. Having a garden is such a fantastic way to make the most of the sunshine without spending money on expensive days out! Especially as the garden can be educational as well as fun - learning to grow fruit and vegetables, spotting different animals and insects, and even improving motor skills by climbing, jumping and exploring.

But with the Summer holidays almost over, and the evenings starting to become darker and cooler, it's almost time to start thinking about preparing your outdoor space for Autumn and Winter. But although your thoughts might have turned to packing away the garden toys and moving some of your less hardy plants to sheltered areas, there’s no reason that you can’t continue to spend time in the garden in the Autumn months, or even as Winter sets in! So in this post I'm going to share four steps to using your garden more this Autumn / Winter.

Protect It

As winds start to pick up and rain sets in, your garden might need a little extra protection. Source quality fencing supplies from a reputable company so that you know it won’t come down in a storm, and make sure any decking and furniture are weatherproofed. Lighter and more delicate items should probably be stored away (or properly covered), however more hardwearing items can still be used all year round. You might want to move any delicate flowers and herbs to sheltered areas so that they survive the colder months too. 

Keep it Simple

The Summer might be time for pretty garden flowers and delicate pottery, but if you're happy to let your children play outside in the colder months, you've got to keep things simple. Don’t worry about keeping everything neat and tidy; just let them play. Put their coats and wellies on and let them splash around in the puddles and explore the area. Try not to be to worry too much about keeping things pretty, there will be plenty of time for that once the warmer months roll around again.

Keep Warm

If you want to spend extended periods in the garden, and enjoy relaxing and even eating outdoors when the weather turns, you will of course need to find ways to keep warm. A sheltered area such as a wooden gazebo or a patio will protect you from the elements, and outdoor heaters will provide extra warmth too. A weatherproof playhouse would be perfect for little ones to play in too!

Add Light

A lack of light is one of the main reasons that we spend less time outside in the Winter. When it’s dark outside at 4pm, it can almost feel like we’re not allowed out. But by just adding pretty lanterns, post lights and even some fairy lights to your garden, it can make such a difference to the space. It can look romantic and warming and will encourage you to spend more time outdoors as the darker evenings set in. 

This is a collaborative post.