Designing a garden is different from designing a house. The interior of your home can remain relatively unchanged year round, with changes made as and when you want.
However, garden design needs to take the weather and the elements into account. Failure to do so can result in your property looking less than its best, or even suffering damage. Many of us use garden planters as decorative items in our garden. Let’s take a look at garden planters in more detail and discuss what can be done with them during the winter. Keep reading to find out more.
What Are Garden Planters?
To put it simply, garden planters are essentially big plant pots. However, rather than the small, circular plant pots you would traditionally see, garden planters are much larger. They are often rectangular, with some even being made out of repurposed livestock troughs. Garden planters can be quite large and can be used to plant an array of different flowers and plants together to make for a visually appealing arrangement.
Garden planters are incredibly versatile, they can be used to plant anything from plants and perennials to herbs, fruits, and vegetables.
How To Set Up A Garden Planter
Setting up a garden planter is relatively straightforward, but there are a number of steps you must follow to ensure your planter provides a good home for your plants. First, a layer of gravel should be placed across the bottom inner surface of the planter. Rocks work for this too if you do not have access to gravel. This will help with water drainage through the holes at the bottom of the planter and will ensure it does not get waterlogged, which can cause damage to your plants.
A layer of textile membrane should be placed on top of the gravel. This will secure the soil in place and ensure it doesn’t get disturbed by draining water. Once this membrane is in place you can fill the rest of the planter with compost.
Garden planters come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, and styles. You’re certain to find one that will suit the aesthetic look of your garden. Read more about garden planters and their installation here.
What Happens In The Winter?
Indoor plants live a sheltered life, both figuratively and metaphorically. They enjoy a relatively stable climate and temperature throughout the year, allowing them to live and grow in comfort.
Outdoor plants, on the other hand, are more exposed to the elements. While you might see your outdoor plants thrive and flourish in spring and summer, winter can be a different story entirely. Winter can bring with it some incredibly difficult conditions, with freezing temperatures, snow, and high winds caused by moist air rising into the atmosphere.
These weather conditions can be a risk for plants, causing serious damage and even killing some vegetation.
What To Do With Your Garden Planters In The Winter
The best way to ensure your garden planters survive the winter is to plan ahead. There can often be heavy rain in the winter months, so make sure your planters are draining correctly to avoid any potential waterlogging.
Before the temperatures begin to drop, it can be a good idea to implement some protective measures to help your planters and your plants. If they aren’t too heavy, move them to a sheltered location such as a shed or a canopied area. If they are too heavy to move safely, they can be wrapped in bubble wrap to give them some insulation or covered with a tarpaulin to keep out moisture and frost.
The leaves on plants can often die and fall off in the winter. Make sure you are clearing dead leaves away from the soil in your garden planters to avoid a build up of debris, as this can cause rot and fungus to spread throughout the planter.
If you have several planters, grouping them together can often be an effective way to protect them against the winter elements. Form a tightly packed group with your planters, keeping the more robust plants on the outside and the more sensitive plants on the inside. This will give your planters more insulation and can help protect them from high winds.
Conclusion
Winter can often cause havoc in our gardens. You can see a year’s worth of work destroyed in a matter of days. Planning properly is the key to protecting your garden in the winter. Follow these steps and ensure your planters survive the chillier months.
