How to make the most out your garden outdoor area in the winter
Here are our top five tips to create a beautiful winter garden
Weed and tidy up
The first step towards making your outdoor space attractive to potential buyers is to make sure that it is clean and tidy. Tidy up any areas that have become neglected, remove any weeds and neatly trim any grass. Remove moss from paths, sweep up leaves and clean outdoor furniture.
Add some colour
We think of Spring as the time that our gardens come to life and colours bloom. However, there are lots of plants that bloom happily during the winter and can add colour and fragrance to your garden. A combination of colourful pots and some winter flowering plants can really brighten up your space, especially when contrasted against green evergreen bushes. The following are a selection of our favourite winter flowering plants to brighten up your garden or outdoor area: winter cherry, witch hazel, early flowering daffodils, winter honeysuckle, Christmas rose, pansies, daphne, snowdrops and winter clematis,
Area to entertain
Whilst socialising in the garden has traditionally been a summer activity the pandemic has meant that more and more of us are choosing to create areas that are suitable for socialising outside all year round. A suitably placed fire pit or chiminea can provide essential warmth on cold evenings whilst a gazebo can provide both shelter from the sun in summer and rain in the winter. The addition of a few fairy lights, blankets and waterproof cushions can create an enviable space for you to enjoy and for prospective buyers to desire.
Tidy up your outbuildings
As the first chill of Autumn settles over our gardens it is tempting to simply throw garden furniture, toys and other summer accessories into our sheds and other outbuildings and close them up until next year. If you are trying to sell your property it is important to remember that these outbuildings are a part of the property that you are trying to sell so should be as tidy and as well maintained as your house in order to maximise your sale price. Take the opportunity of a quiet weekend in January to sort through these outbuildings, declutter if possible in order to create the impression of space. If any maintenance is required, a new coat of paint or fixing a window, it is a good idea to sort these before potential buyers view your property.
Attract wildlife
During the cold winter months when their food sources become scarce our local wildlife really benefits from a helping hand from us. As their natural food sources decline in Autumn and Winter birds are more likely to visit bird tables or bird feeders than at other times of the year. In return for a ready supply of nuts and seeds they provide us with a colourful and entertaining display as they flit around our gardens. Strategically placed bird feeders can ensure we can enjoy this display from inside our houses as well as outside and bird feeders themselves, depending on your bird feeder of choice, can also be decorative and colourful.