Winter Garden Care
From hedge laying to bareroot planting, these timeless practices prepare your garden for seasons to come
Many people think of winter as a quiet season in the garden. But in truth, it’s one of the most important times of year to set the stage for the seasons ahead. From pruning and planting to protecting soil and creating habitats, winter jobs make sure your garden looks beautiful, healthy and full of life in the coming year.
At GreenArt, our Care & Development team can take care of all these tasks for you, so your garden is well-prepared while you stay warm indoors.
What GreenArt can do for you this winter
Pruning and shaping
We prune fruit trees such as apples, pears and quinces while they’re dormant, ensuring healthy crops and good airflow for next year. We also prune currants, gooseberries and ornamental trees, and lightly shape evergreens such as holly and laurel. With ornamental shrubs like dogwood and willow, we leave the stems standing through winter for their brilliant colour, then prune them back hard in early spring to encourage the strongest, brightest new growth for the following year. Roses are pruned to remove dead or diseased wood and to shape and encourage growth.
Hedge laying
Traditional hedge laying rejuvenates tired or overgrown hedges, turning them into strong, living boundaries that are both attractive and practical. Our team works with native species such as hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel, hornbeam and field maple, all of which respond well to laying and quickly thicken at the base. Hedge laying is especially suited to country gardens, and larger properties where hedges mark boundaries or frame views. The results are long-lasting features that offer blossom in spring, berries in autumn, and dense shelter for birds and small mammals all year round.
Planting bare-root and root-balled trees, hedges and fruit
Winter is the best time to plant bare-root and root-balled trees, hedges, roses and fruit bushes. Planting at this stage allows roots to establish before spring growth, giving young plants the strongest start. We also supply and install stakes, guards and mulch to protect new plantings from frost and wildlife damage.
Soil care and no-dig beds
Healthy soil is the foundation of a healthy garden. Over winter, we feed and protect it with compost, mulch and well-rotted manure. We can also create no-dig beds using cardboard and organic matter. By spring, the soil is fertile and ready for planting — all with less disturbance and better results for plants.
Wildlife and pond care
We create natural features that give your garden character as well as life. Neat dead hedges, made from prunings, can edge paths or soften boundaries while offering vital cover for wrens, robins and hedgehogs. Log piles and stone stacks provide homes for insects and amphibians, while bee posts, which can either be old logs or posts with holes drilled in different, sizes attract solitary bees that are important pollinators for fruit trees and flowers. We can also install bird and bat boxes before spring, and carry out winter pond care by clearing silt and cutting back plants while amphibians are dormant. These touches create a mosaic of habitats that support wildlife and make your garden feel more alive and connected with the seasons.
Garden structures and systems
From repairing fences and trellises to building compost bays and installing rainwater harvesting systems, winter is the perfect time to strengthen the backbone of your garden. Our team can also clean and maintain patios, decking and other hard landscaping to keep them safe and looking their best all year round.
Alongside the bigger jobs, our Care and Development team can also:
- Check stakes, ties and guards on young trees
- Lightly trim evergreens such as holly, laurel and yew
- Prune fruit bushes including currants and gooseberries
- Aerate and scarify lawns or apply moss treatments if conditions allow
- Early winter is not too late to plant bulbs in early winter like daffodils, tulips and alliums for spring colour
- Decommission irrigation systems
Get your Garden ready for 2026
Winter is the season of preparation. With the right care now, your garden will reward you with beauty, abundance and wildlife in the year ahead.
Let GreenArt’s Care & Development team take care of your winter jobs for you.
Contact us today to book your winter garden care, and enjoy the peace of mind that your garden is in expert hands.
