Mark Robson, the Gardener at Granny Mouse Country House & Spa is passionate about ensuring his plants and flowers are looking gorgeous all year round.
Since he started gardening, some 15 years ago, he has always enjoyed preparing his garden for the winter months – which he calls “garden hibernation” – the very act of which only entails 4 actions that act like vitamins to ensure the gardens get through the cold without any hitches.
Here are Robson’s Vitamin “C’s” for South African gardens in preparation for winter:
Clear out – Clear out any weeds or dead foliage.
Consistency – it is important to trim any bushes on a regular basis during winter and add any leftovers to the compost heap.
Compost collection – as you till and tend to your garden this month, you will be raking up leaves and any other remnants of autumn which should be collected and added to your compost heap. You should add compost to non-rich soil before the winter season approaches which will help keep your garden healthy.
Cover – at Granny Mouse we can get snow fall at certain times during winter. “Snow is two-prong. It protects but can also be dangerous to plants,” he says.
Once snow falls, it can act as insulation for the soil, allowing it to retain moisture, but the heaviness of snow can weigh down branches which can cause breakage – dust snow from the bottom upwards.
“I believe that good preparation ensures a healthy garden when spring returns,” he adds.
