Three Instagram users have put together some winter gardening tips to help your garden reach its maximum potential in the spring.
Shovel
Instagrammers Dagny Creme (@thecottagepeach), Meaghan Lloyd (@meggrowsplants) and Amy Chapman (@inthecottagegarden) teamed up to create a video full of helpful winter gardening tips.
The first tip in the video comes from Chapman, who explains how natural birdhouses can keep your avian friends warm during the winter. Users recommend making a homemade birdhouse from orange peels and strings, which can be filled with bird seeds and hung on a tree.
“Now your backyard birds can build up fat reserves to keep them warm on cold nights,” he says.
These tips are simple. For aesthetic reasons, Lloyd encourages viewers to "leave" the leaves instead of raking them.
“Fall leaves provide food, shelter and nesting sites for a variety of wildlife,” he explains, “and provide a wintering place for beneficial insects.”
As a bonus, chickens love to eat fallen leaves, so leaving crunchy leaves on the ground is a "great treat" for them.
The third and final tip also rewards those of us who prefer not to touch their plants.
“Don't be tempted to prune old, bark-covered plants in winter,” urges Creme, adding, “Perennials…provide food in the form of seeds and shelter for many wildlife.” So wait until spring. gardening to clean up if your garden shows no signs of disease.
How it helps
Maintaining a healthy garden is a net benefit not only to you, but also to your local ecosystem. Providing fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs from your garden not only saves you time and money at the supermarket, but also attracts pollinators and increases biodiversity in your community, enriching the livelihoods of local wildlife and other nearby plants.
Other tips for keeping your garden healthy include using natural weed control solutions, mulching fallen leaves, and using organic fertilizers throughout the garden.
What everyone says
Commenters share their information and tips on winter gardening.
“Leaves also create air pockets that help insulate the soil. This helps create a habitat for insects, but also protects perennials from frost,” one user wrote.
“Make sure you clean the feeder every time before filling it. [So] many birds contract diseases from untreated feeders and spread them to other birds,” another user said.
"We love doing it!!!" - commented a third user.
Sign up for our free newsletter for simple tips on how to save more , spend less and help yourself while helping the planet.
