The good news is that your garden fence panels are sturdy enough to stand up to all but perhaps gale-force winds (quite rare for most of us!), but when it comes to your plants and garden furniture, it’s best to take a couple of precautions.
Protect your garden furniture
When the wind and rain start sweeping across your garden, your garden furniture and accessories will be the first things to suffer. So to prevent that from happening, consider covering anything that can’t be stored away, and if there’s anything that can’t be covered, try to take it inside – especially soft furnishings like cushions or blankets, or larger items like pergola covers, awnings, shade sails and umbrellas. Any decorative items like lanterns or candles should be stored away too, if possible.
Your gutters – check them out and clear them out
Your gutters are another element of your garden that could use a detailed examination, especially if they sit directly over your patio or decking. Otherwise, you run the risk of getting more debris in them over the winter; that can cause a clogged downspout, which is exactly as unpleasant as it sounds. Not only does it stop them from draining properly, but as an added complication they can cause icy spots and make it hard for the area to clear properly after a storm.
Get handy with your broom and hose
It’s worth taking a moment to pre-emptively sweep your decking and patio to remove any loose leaves or debris, paying particular attention to the nooks and crannies where leaves can pile up. If enough debris starts to accumulate, that can lead to damp and rot. As you can imagine, that can be especially damaging to timber decking, and it’s not great for paving either. Once you’ve swept the place you can finish the job by washing or hosing your decking (or patio) down – just make sure not to use a pressure washer on either of them, as the high pressures involved can cause irreversible damage.
Take steps to protect your plants
Potted plants will be your first order of business if you have any. It’s best to bring these inside if possible – they’re particularly susceptible to frost damage as they don’t have any insulated benefits from the ground. If you’ve got a conservatory, porch or greenhouse, they’ll fare best in there.
And if you’ve got any plants outside that you’re worried about (young plants in particular) then it might be worth thinking about a cold frame. These are essentially bottomless boxes that can be easily set over the plants to protect them from cold weather. If you’re especially concerned about any plants in particular, you can also cover your cold frame with a bit of bubble wrap, horticultural fleeces, or layers of newspapers, which helps give them an extra bit of warmth through the harshness of winter.
As we touched on above, your garden fence panels should be fine as long as they’re already in good condition. If you’re thinking about fixing or replacing them ahead of time though, then you’re in exactly the right place. Feel free to check out our post on how to fix the most common fencing problems. Alternatively, if you’d prefer a straight replacement, we provide a range of dip treated garden fence panels, and pressure treated fence panels, which are exceptionally well-designed to protect against rot and infestation. They’re durable and reliable, and our pressure-treated fence panels come with a 10 year anti-rot guarantee, saving you time, money and effort from having to reapply treatment on an annual basis.
With fencing, concrete posts, timber gates and more, we can provide you with everything you need to start building your dream outdoor space. If you’ve got any questions, feel free to contact our friendly staff by dropping us an email or calling us on 01772 336 476. We’re always happy to help!
