Winter Gardening Tips

• Tip 1: Select a part of the garden that gets good clear skies and maximum sun. A garden bed under deciduous trees is often the best place to start for a strong winter garden. These patches (with less foliage tend to offer the best chance of as much of the suns rays as possible during the short days of winter.)
• Tip 2: Next the all important soil preparation. Good drainage is crucial for growing a thriving winter garden. Add a good amount of sand or organic compost to lighten the texture of the soil, ensure you break up the hard ground first to improve the drainage.
• Tip 3: Select plants that have the best chance of survival during winter. There are many plants that need cooler dryer climates and less light, these make them ideal for your winter gardening exploits. Some of these plants include:
• pansies,
  
• calendula
  
• nemesia
• broccoli
• cilantro
• cabbage
• peas
  
• radish
• Tip 4: Ensure you keep maximum space between the seedlings keeping them further apart than you would normally in the summer months, this will give them better air and water circulation. Ensuring good breathing space between plants will reduce the chances of contracting fungus diseases or other mildew type problems.
• Tip 5: Plant potentially taller and quicker growing plants on the north side of the bed and shorter and slower growers to the south, this will avoid losing the light from tall plants shading the shorter ones.