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If you are someone who takes great pride in their garden, it probably causes you some frustration that you can only enjoy it for part of the year. In the winter months, all the trees lose their leaves and all the colors and smells of your beautiful backyard disappear until spring. It’s too cold to have garden parties and barbecues and most of your time will be spent indoors with the heating on.

But just because it’s freezing outside and there’s frost on the ground, that doesn’t mean you have to neglect your garden. Even though there may be no flowers to tend or soirees to throw, you can still find ways to keep yourself busy and enjoy your outdoor space.

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Here are five tips for some al fresco inspiration.

Tidy up

Even though your garden obligations may have dried up with the coming of the winter, there are still plenty of ways to keep yourself busy. Do you have a shed, greenhouse, or workshop that you’ve been meaning to clear out forever? Well now is the perfect time to get started. Have a seasonal clear out and get your outdoor space organized and ready for the spring. Clear out any items that have been sitting around gathering dust, and fix or replace any broken equipment. You’ll be spending time productively outdoors, while the hard work of tidying up will keep you nice and warm despite the cold.

Attract wildlife

For many animals, the winter is a tough time as there’s not a whole lot of food for them to forage. One great way to make use of your garden at this time of year is to turn it into a haven for the local wildlife. Start a project to create your own bird feeder, and fill it with nutritious goodies for the local avian population to come and enjoy at their leisure. You could even set up a wildlife camera to capture any birds and foxes that come prowling early in the morning.

Grow winter plants

Winter doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to stop gardening. Although many plants and trees will be dormant in the colder months, there are a huge number of winter flowers that will flourish in tyour garden in the winter. Visit your local garden center for advice on the best flowers to plant. Varieties like snowdrops, with hazel, crocus, and winter iris will all add some much-needed color to liven up your garden. You may also wish to consider planting some evergreen trees and plants that will keep their foliage all  year round.

Harvest vegetables

Growing your own vegetables is a great way to eat more healthily and save money on your food budget, and there many crops that are ready to harvest right around wintertime. Parsnips, Brussels sprouts, leeks and winter cabbage are all such varieties, and they go brilliantly with your Christmas dinner. 

Create an outdoor space for winter

Just because it’s freezing outside, that doesn’t mean you can’t socialize in your garden. Creating an outdoor space where you can stay warm in any temperature is a great way to make the most of your backyard year round. Create a seating area with awnings to stave off the cold and rain, and invest in a firepit for toasting marshmallows and hotdogs on a chilly winter’s evening.

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