Revitalise your winter garden

One thing that can really make or break a home is the garden. Whether you're looking to add a splash of colour or just enjoy your very own piece of nature on your property, gardens can be the highlight of a home. A home rarely feels complete without a garden, which is why making sure your garden is well manicured and flourishes not only does wonders for the home's aesthetic but is also ultimately an investment in your home, as potential buyers are more likely to be drawn to properties that have beautiful gardens.

With winter mostly upon us, our gardens have to contend with frigid temperatures and frost, which often results in our gardens looking rather sparse - especially if you're based in the dry highveld. Luckily the onset of the cold weather doesn't have to mean your garden has to lie dormant, in fact, it can be a good time to plant some evergreen plants for a splash of colour, do some maintenance and prepare your garden for the wonderful spring months.

Here's how you can revitalise your garden during winter:

Do some garden maintenance

·     Now's the time to do some weeding, pulling up dead plants and removing any leaves that may have fallen on your flower beds during Autumn. This will keep your garden looking neat and keep away any decay or bugs that may be attracted to the dead or dying plants.

·     Most plants and flowers are dormant during winter which makes it the perfect time to do some pruning. So, use the winter months to prune your plants, especially plants such as roses, to encourage new growth in spring and summer.

·     If you have a pond be sure to clean out any leaves that may have fallen in during autumn as they can decay and pollute the water making it unsuitable for aquatic life.

Winter-proof your garden

In order to ensure that your plants survive and continue to thrive throughout the winter and to prevent them from getting destroyed by the frost, you'll need to winter-proof your garden.

·     To prevent your plants getting damaged by frost, you can add a layer of mulch to insulate your garden beds, just make sure to leave a little bit of space open around the stems so that your plants can get warmth from the soil.

·     If your garden experiences particularly bad winter frost and you're worried about your plants dying, you can even cover your flower beds with sheets of material or plastic on especially chilly nights when frost is predicted, to ensure that they don't get damaged. Just be sure to remove the material first thing the following morning.

Introduce some indigenous evergreen or winter-flowering plants to your garden

Planting indigenous plants in your garden is always an excellent idea as they're much easier to grow and maintain than their non-indigenous counterparts. They're also hardier and are more likely to survive and thrive in South Africa's winter climate. Look for evergreen or winter-flowering indigenous plants to add to your garden to add some vibrant pops of green, as well as other colours, during the otherwise sparse winter months.

·     Agapanthus africanus are an excellent (and beautiful) addition to any winter garden as they are frost resistant and fast growing. They're also evergreen, which means that although they only flower in summer, their leaves remain a vibrant green colour year-round.

·     Clivia Miniata is a striking evergreen plant with deep green leaves and beautiful orange trumpet-shaped flowers which appear during spring. Its evergreen status means that you get to enjoy the deep green leaves in your garden year-round.

·     Aloe Cryptopoda will make a wonderful addition to any winter garden as it flowers in June and July, adding a floral display of beautiful reddish yellow. This plant is also known to thrive in gardens and is fairly easy to grow and maintain - just be sure not to over water it.

·     Zantedeschia aethiopica (Arum Lily) are a winter favourite - especially in areas that receive a lot of winter rainfall. The Arum Lily, with its distinctive white flower and long green leaves, makes for an elegant addition to any garden and, best of all, it flowers during the winter and spring along the coastal areas which receive winter rainfall.

·     Strelitzia reginae is an evergreen plant known for its striking flowers. The Strelitzia reginae is perfect for your garden as its beautiful flowers are in full display during the autumn and winter months

Plant some bulbs with spring in mind

Certain spring-flowering plants grow from bulbs and can be planted in late autumn and early winter. This is because these bulbs prefer cooler soil temperatures and need to be planted during this time in order to flower in spring. Some gorgeous non-indigenous spring-flowering bulbs to plant during the early winter months include Daffodils, Tulips and Hyacinths, while some indigenous spring flowering bulbs include Freesias, Ixias and Gladioli.

When you invest in keeping your garden in good shape throughout the year, you are investing in your home as a whole. Maintaining your garden year-round, especially in winter when things tend to get sparse, ensures that your home always puts its best foot forward, especially if you decide to sell during winter.

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