Look after garden toolsBut, winter is a very good time to sort out the shed, secure trellises and fastenings before new foliage obscures any damage, and have a really good maintenance session of garden tools.
Pre-spring clean
Of course no good gardener would ever dream of putting tools away dirty, but there's no harm in a thorough clean - a bucket of builders' sand mixed with clean motor oil works wonders and can be used all year round.
Rubbing linseed oil on wooden handles will keep them in good condition and winter is an ideal time to get shears and other cutting tools sharpened, mowers and power tools serviced, check extension leads and tidy up the broken pots, empty compost bags and bits of twine that seem to take over the shed.
Garden security
While you're sorting, storing, recycling or dumping, it's an opportunity to tot up the value of your garden tools and equipment. As every gardener will testify, we accumulate 'stuff' and rarely get rid of anything so replacing damaged or stolen items could cost a lot more than you think.
Just because the winter forces us to spend less time in the garden, sadly the same cannot be said of opportunist thieves who'll clear out a shed of tools on a winter evening, knowing the theft may go undetected for days if not longer.
Obviously garden tools and equipment should be stored securely, garages and sheds locked and security lighting used where possible.
When the winter exposes the garden, it also exposes any weaknesses in broken fences, wonky gates and dodgy bolts. So while your green fingers are itching to get gardening, there are plenty of jobs to do as part of caring for your garden. Even if you can't mow the lawn, there’s nothing like a quick edge of the borders to smarten up a winter garden!