Caring for your Garden Accessories
Let's discuss the importance of caring for your Garden Accessories throughout the year!
The first frost has arrived, the leaves have fallen from the trees, vulnerable plants have been covered and time slowly passes as we await the next bloom, but there's still plenty to enjoy in the garden!
This helpful guide can help you protect your garden accessories, to ensure that they stay in tiptop condition, even throughout the coldest months, so that they can last for plenty of summers to come!
Water Features
Water features are designed to be outside all year round, however in the colder weather and frosts it's important to take a few preventative steps to ensure the feature stays in great condition.
Once the feature has been turned off, remove any plants, algae and debris from the water feature. If you find any wildlife that was residing in the feature, make sure to carefully relocate it to another area of the garden to minimise any disruption for them!
Next, make sure to empty the feature of water and remove the pump.
If your water feature has a transformer, make sure it is elevated and out of water at all times, year round. Please also be aware, the transformer will get hot while in use - this is not a fault of the product.
Once the water feature has been emptied of water, and the pump, bring the pump inside, or store in a warmer environment to ensure it does not freeze.
For extra protection, we recommend covering the feature or bringing it inside a shed, garage or outbuilding.
Bird Baths
Similarly to a water feature, should the bird bath be left outside during particularly frosty spells, any water left in the bowl may expand as it freezes, and cause the bird bath bowl to crack. To avoid this, ensure that the bird bath is regularly emptied during colder spells, as to not damage the bowl.
When emptying the bowl of the bird bath, it's also a good idea to give it a quick clean to reduce any algae build up. If algae build up is left, it can be much harder to remove over time and may even stain. Clean this out during the winter to avoid a green bird bath in the Summer!
If emptying the bird bath often isn't for you - try leaving a tennis ball floating in the water! The movement of the ball in the wind will help disrupt any ice crystals forming and lessen the chance of the water freezing over.
Outdoor Pots
For the bigger pots that are unable to be brought inside, it's a good idea to use straw across the top of the rim of the pot to help insulate the pot against frost damage. For this, you can use any garden trimmings you have left over as a way to upcycle those that haven't made it to your compost pile! This can also be beneficial to any bulbs that you plant in the Winter, as it will make sure they stay a little warmer and it can encourage them to grow earlier in the year.
If your outdoor pots have drainage holes in the bottom, ensure they're raised off the ground so that water can escape freely. This prevents water freezing and expanding on the inside - which can lead to cracking on the outside of the pot. We've got a wonderful collection of Terracotta Pot Feet and Saucers that will do the job!
Fire Pits
Fire Pits that aren't getting used over the Winter may suffer from expanding moisture in the Winter. Infrequent use of the Fire Pit can cause damage to the coating on the firepit, so it's a good idea to bring them inside. If there's no space inside, making sure they're covered (and moisture is kept out) will do just as well. You can use a furniture cover, or tarpaulin if you have any lying around.
If you have a gas fire pit, it's a good idea to disconnect the gas cannister and keep it outside, on a level surface, well away from any doors and direct heat sources.
For the end of the connector on your firepit, ensure that this is covered and wrapped up, to prevent moisture from entering the line over the winter. Make sure you only ever wrap the fire pit once it is entirely cooled after use.
Following these simple tips can help keep your items feeling and looking brand new each Summer! For more information, specific to your product, head to the product pages on our website or feel free to reach out to our Customer Care team if you have a specific enquiry. They can be reached at enquiries@gardenesque.com
