How To Enjoy Your Garden All Year Round

For many people, the garden is a hub of activity during the summer months, with BBQs, picnic lunches and evening drinks on the patio as the sun goes down. But once the nights start drawing in and the temperature drops, our outdoor spaces can often become forgotten and somewhat neglected. But this doesn’t have to be the case – our gardens have lots to offer us all year round. Here are some of the ways you can really make the most of your garden during the winter months.

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Winter Plants and Flowers

In the winter, it’s easy for your garden to look bare and unloved. To prevent your garden from looking drab during the winter months, inject some colour by planting seasonal shrubs and plants. Winter favourites such as violas, pansies, primula or forget-me-nots are a perfect way of brightening up your outside space – try planting them in terracotta or bold coloured tubs and planters for maximum impact. Alternatively, holly bushes can offer a subtle splash of colour and are a nice festive addition to your garden.

Conservatories

To really get the most out of your garden during the winter, you might want to consider investing in a winter conservatory. Made from Solarlux glass, these conservatories have great insulation properties and good ventilation, meaning that you can enjoy your garden views while remaining snug and warm. For a seamless transition between conservatory and garden, try decorating the space with some of the plants mentioned above. And on those cold winter nights, illuminate your garden with strategically placed fairy lights or lanterns.

Bird Watching

It can be great fun to watch the local wildlife from the comfort of your kitchen or conservatory. Attract native birds to your garden by setting up hanging bird feeders or a bird table. As well as giving your garden a point of interest, it also provides some much needed sustenance to our winter birds. It’s best to provide a mix of food (such as seeds, peanuts, fat balls, bread), along with a supply of clean water – and be sure to put any bird tables out of reach of local predators such as rats or cats!

Outdoor Parties

We all use our garden for BBQs and garden parties during the summer months, but it tends to get forgotten as an entertaining space once the colder weather arrives. This doesn’t have to be the case. Log burners, fire pits and outdoor heaters can all help to ward off the wintry chill, as can generous servings of mulled wine or hot chocolate. And with both Bonfire Night and New Years’ Eve occurring during the winter, it’s the perfect time to get family and friends together for an outdoor fireworks party.

Experiencing the outdoors is good for our health and wellbeing. So, particularly during the winter, when days are shorter, it’s important that we make the most of our outdoor spaces. Whether it’s planting flowers, spotting wildlife or simply enjoying the views with a cuppa, with a bit of imagination and forward planning, you can ensure you have a garden that you and your family can enjoy all year round.

Mark Caulfield is the Founder of bespoke conservatory designers The Caulfield Conservatory Company.