There are many reasons why people decide to become a gardener. They might have a passion for nature or they might enjoy the prospect of working outdoors. Either way, something that should be considered is the seasonality of gardening and therefore, the ways in which you’ll need to adapt as a gardener during the colder months.
Gardens, like many other things, are seasonal. They come into their element at different times during the year, which in turn, means that a gardener’s responsibilities switch up as the year progresses.
Gardeners are able to pick up more than enough work during the spring or summertime, however, once winter rolls around, the work available dwindles significantly. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t be productive during these quieter months. You can still advertise many different services during the colder months so that work continues to come in all year round. There are plenty of things you can do to support your business and enter the warmer periods equipped and ready to go.
Paving
Paving is something gardeners can assist with all year round, although it makes sense to save it for the colder months so that your workload is spread out more evenly. To do this you’ll need good quality paving stones that match the look of the garden you’re working on. This way, your client will be happier with the outcome.
Soil preparation
Winter is a good time to test soil and mulch around any plants to help protect it. Another way of protecting soil is by sowing cover crops, covering empty beds or leaving winter weeds to act as a barrier to harsh weather.
Seasonal pruning
Seasonal pruning is a delicate task to get right, as pruning during the warmer months means you could be removing food reserves.
Deciduous plants shed their leaves in the wintertime. This is done to provide food reserves to their roots. Pruning during the wintertime or during spring means that you can distribute these resources so that the chances of regrowth are heightened.
Tend to winter plants
There are a surprising amount of winter plants that can be taken care of at this time of year. These include snowdrops, pansies and winter heather – so assuming you plan a client’s garden sufficiently, you could be maintaining their garden and keeping it in bloom all year long.
Garden renovation
Many households decide to focus on garden renovations during the cooler months in the hope that it’ll be ready by the time spring and summer come around. You can help clients with landscaping and compile the right seeds and other equipment to get the foundations in place. Depending on your experience, you can also help with some of the manual duties.
