Winter might not seem like the season to be spending time doing things in the garden – after all, at this time of the year, not much is going on as nature hibernates from the worst of the cold. However, it is actually an important time of the year for gardeners and there are lots of jobs to be getting on with.

Tidying up is one of the most important things to get on with at this time of the year. Remove any leaves that have fallen in the autumn and check plants for signs of pests and diseases – by treating things early you can reduce your workload. Now is also a good time to cut back bushes that might need a trim as it is outside of the growth season. If you are a composter, you can add all the garden waste to your compost heap.

You also need to protect some of the more tender and vulnerable plants from the winter weather. Frost can kill or damage young and vulnerable plants like young shrubs, so you should move them to a sheltered spot if possible or you can get covers for them to keep them warm. Mulching is a good thing to do at this time as it adds nutrients to the soil.

If you are considering getting some semi mature trees from somewhere like this naturefirst.co.uk/semi-mature-trees the winter is the perfect time of the year to plant them. When they are dormant from late autumn to early spring it means that they can settle in before they enter their growth phase once again.