Gardening Over Christmas: Keeping Your Outdoor Space Thriving This Festive Season

Christmas might feel like the moment to pack away the trowel, shut the shed door, and forget about the garden until April. 

Yet winter offers some gentle opportunities to keep your outdoor space healthy, tidy, and surprisingly cheerful. 

With a bit of care, your garden can stay vibrant throughout December—even providing bursts of festive colour.

Give Your Garden a Winter Health Check

December is the ideal time for a simple tidy without committing to a major overhaul. A few quick jobs now prevent headaches in spring.

Try:

Clearing fallen leaves from lawns and paths

Checking pots for waterlogging after rain

Removing any damaged or broken branches

Tying in loose climbers ahead of winter winds

Small tasks, big benefits.

Protect Delicate Plants from Frost

With temperatures dropping around Christmas, a little protection goes a long way.

Move pots against house walls for extra warmth

Wrap tender shrubs in horticultural fleece

Add mulch around root zones to lock in heat

Lift or insulate dahlias and other frost-sensitive varieties

You’ll see the rewards when everything bursts back into life in spring.

Support Garden Wildlife

Feeding the birds not only brings movement and cheer to the garden—it also boosts biodiversity.

Put out:

Winter seed mixes

Fat balls and suet blocks

Unsalted peanuts

Clean, fresh water

Robins, blackbirds, tits, and finches become welcome winter visitors, and they’ll repay you by helping control pests later.

Add a Touch of Festive Colour Outside

You don’t need to transform the whole garden, just a few touches create a seasonal atmosphere.

Place potted evergreens by the front door

Add outdoor-friendly fairy lights to trees or fences

Plant winter pansies, cyclamen, or skimmia for colour

Hang a wreath on your shed or greenhouse door

A lovely way to extend your Christmas decorating outdoors.

Show Your Tools Some Love

Christmas is the perfect moment for tool care and organisation.

Sharpen secateurs and shears

Remove rust from metal blades

Check handles for wear

Give the shed a quick tidy

Better-prepared tools make spring gardening much easier.

Plan Ahead for Spring

With the garden resting, this is the ideal time to dream and plan.

You could:

Browse seed catalogues with a hot drink

Sketch out new beds or borders

Decide which vegetables you’ll try

Order seed potatoes and onion sets early

A little winter planning is often the secret to a successful growing season.

Take Time to Enjoy the Quiet

Gardening over Christmas doesn’t need to be intensive. Sometimes it’s simply about enjoying a crisp walk around the garden, spotting a robin, or admiring the winter frost.

Even in its slumber, your garden is full of life.