Prepare for summer in winter – 18 project ideas

construction work

If the garden is largely unused in winter, it is time to carry out various construction work, weather permitting. But in December and later in February there are always a few days that are suitable for various project ideas in the garden in terms of weather.

Gazebo, Greenhouse & BBQ

A small retreat in a corner of the garden is what many home and garden owners want. The advantage of such an arbor is that it can be comfortably furnished and then used for celebrations or, for example, as a reading place in winter when your favorite spot in the garden has become uncomfortable due to the weather. A gazebo can be erected in winter when there is no other gardening to do. The following should be noted here:

• Register the building with the responsible office
• Regulations vary from municipality to municipality
• excavate soil
• pour foundation
• build a gazebo
• Paint walls if necessary
• Plan and carry out interior work

set up greenhouse

If you want to grow plants in spring so that they can move to the prepared beds in summer, you can now set up a greenhouse in winter. Greenhouses are commercially available already finished or as components. This is how the greenhouse can be easily set up in the garden:

• find a suitable place
• sunny location is recommended
• North-South orientation
• sheltered from the wind
• Water and electricity connection nearby
• Beet begradigen
• Pour spot foundations for the corners
• on a frost-free day
• Set up the greenhouse according to the manufacturer’s instructions

garden grill

Building instead of buying is also the motto for the garden grill. A brick charcoal grill with segment arch is the eye-catcher par excellence, durable and not only enables you to grill meat, fish and vegetables, but also to prepare more elaborate dishes due to the good heat storage.

It is best to follow a professional guide step by step here . So that the grill is stable and can be operated safely, the choice of location already plays an important role. The advantage of building it yourself: The grill can be individually adjusted to the desired size.

slope fortifications and walls

The slope threatens to slide, then it’s time to fix it. Winter is also suitable for this project. If the slope is very steep, a solid slope reinforcement must be created. A retaining wall always needs a concrete foundation if the slope is 7° or more. But there are also other slope fortifications that can look like this:

• Gabions
• Holzpalisaden
• Greening with suitable plants
• concrete walls
• dry stone walls
• plant stones

With many of the proposed project ideas for slope stabilization, however, it is necessary to choose a frost-free day. Because the ground is difficult to excavate when it is frozen. In addition, if the ambient temperature is too cold, concrete can crack as soon as it sets.

pull wall

Walls can make the garden meaningful and visually appealing. Beds can be bordered or a separation to the terrace can be built. In addition, various stone walls in a natural garden can provide good shelter for the many animals here. So there are the following decorative variants of stone walls:

• rubble wall
• Wall of boulders
• Fieldstone wall
• Quadermauersteine
• Backsteine
• natural stones
• Clinker
• brick
• Concrete stones

Important when building any wall is the foundation, which must be stable. Since this is cast from cement, this step should be done on a frost-free day.

More garden projects

build a raised bed

Many gardens have raised beds. These are often used for herbs, vegetables and salads. These beds can be set up especially in winter so that they are ready for cultivation in spring and summer. When building a raised bed , the following should be included in the planning:

• a working height of 80 cm to one meter is optimal
• can be purchased commercially as a kit
• build it yourself is possible
• better to lay out longer than wide
• everything is more accessible that way
• a diameter of 1.20 meters is usual
• suitable materials
• Gabions, plastic, stone, wood

Dredge pool or pond

Anyone who has decided to create a pool or pond in the garden should start dredging on frost-free days in winter. This is for the following reasons:

• the garden is not used as a recreational oasis
• it’s not too hot for hard work
• Companies can allocate appointments more quickly
• for example when renting excavators

The pool or pond can be prepared so far in winter that a pond only needs to be planted in spring and the pool can already be finished with the exception of the water.

Lay out paths or patios

If it is frost-free, then planned paths or terraces can now be laid out, or at least work can be prepared in advance so that things can go faster afterwards. Because when the whole family is in the garden in summer, such project ideas are often postponed until next year, because the garden should be enjoyed. There are the following design options for paths and terraces:

• with stone slabs
• Wooden terrace
• from paving stones
• poured out of concrete
• laying natural stones

beautify garden

In winter, project ideas are particularly useful for which there is no time in summer due to all the “normal” gardening work. This way you can plan from the living room what the garden should look like in summer. But planning can also be done directly in the garden and implemented directly on a sunny winter’s day.

lights and lanterns

Lights and lanterns are not only a highlight in the summer garden, the garden is also cosily illuminated in winter, especially when it gets dark in the afternoon. It is therefore advisable to set up lights in winter, which can then continue to be used in summer. However, these lights should have nothing to do with Christmas lights. There are the following lights and lanterns that look very decorative in a winter and summer garden:

• Strings of lights on the trunk of trees
• in treetops
• in hedges
• are available with batteries, electricity or solar
• small balls of light along the way
• along the terrace
• Lanterns with LED candles

build climbing aids

If you already know where different climbing plants should be in the summer or where they are already cultivated, you can build the climbing aid for this in the winter . Because without leaves and flowers, it is easier to attach the twigs and branches to the climbing aid. In addition, the winter here is also suitable for checking existing climbing aids for damage and repairing them. There are the following climbing aids that are well suited and that you can build yourself or buy ready-made or as a kit in well-stocked specialist shops:

• Pergola as a canopy
• Rose arch individually or as a passage
• Wicker fences as a privacy screen
• corner trellis
• Fan trellis for the house wall

Plan mixed culture and beds

Already in winter you should think about the new beds to be planted. Both flowers and vegetables are composed of different plants that get along well and can keep pests and diseases away. The following mixed cultures can be designed in this way:

• Vegetables with suitable herbs
• such as tomatoes and basil
• Vegetables with flowers as pest protection
• eg different types of cabbage with marigolds
• carrots and onions
• cucumbers, dill and lettuce
• Peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes

In some cases, for example, the vegetables can be put together in such a way that everything is offered in one bed for a delicious salad.

Prepare beds

If the ground is frost-free, empty beds can be prepared at the end of winter. This should be done as follows:

• dig up a total of earth well
• loosen up with a fork
• fold sand or peat into heavy soil
• possibly create drainage under the entire bed
• dig at least a meter deep for this
• fill up with a layer of stone or gravel
• refill the soil
• Fertilize the soil with compost now
• so the nutrients can develop
• are available immediately upon first planting

Repair and clean-up work

Winter is always particularly good for various repair and beautification work in the garden. Because then tools and furniture are not needed and can be refreshed, repaired or replaced. The ideal here is that the work can be carried out in the shed, basement or garage when it is too cold outside. You can also clean up the tool shed or garden shed properly. Everything can then be used quickly on the first warm days of the next season.

Check and replace garden tools

On a dreary winter weekend, it’s a good idea to check out the tools in the tool shed. Because it is stressful in summer and autumn and a lot of gardening has to be done, some tools are not cleaned properly and are simply left carelessly in the shed. However, moisture can cause uncleaned tools to rust faster. Motorized devices, on the other hand, should also be checked for functionality and properly cleared. This can be done as follows:

• clean all garden tools with the hose
• let dry well
• Additionally disinfect cutting tools with alcohol
• hang it up neatly, put it away or put it in a corner
• run motorized equipment once
• repair it yourself if necessary
• or take it to a workshop
• cover and put away properly

Repair and maintain garden furniture

The garden furniture was heavily used all summer long. In winter they are usually protected from the damp and cold under a tarpaulin or in a shed. In winter, however, it is also a good opportunity to take care of the furniture or to carry out small repairs. So they are ready for use again on the first warm days:

• Glue wooden furniture if necessary
• or tighten loose screws
• brush off with a brush
• treat with care oil
• then put away properly
• Wash plastic furniture well
• let dry
• stack chairs
• take the table apart
• put in a corner

Furniture made from other materials is also checked and cleaned before it is placed in the shed.

Repair garden hose

The garden hose was probably rolled up and hung up before the first frost. Nevertheless, this should also be checked briefly in winter. Sunlight can make the material porous and holes can appear. Therefore, the hose should be proceeded as follows:

• connect
• run water
• check for holes
• close them with a suitable putty
• alternatively replace the garden hose immediately
• then a new one will be available in the spring if required

Think of the animals

When it’s too cold in winter to continue with garden project ideas, it’s time to think about the many animals in the garden . These projects can be prepared and crafted in the warm hobby room or shed. In the spring and summer everything is ready to go. Other project ideas, on the other hand, are also suitable for the garden in winter. You can take these outside immediately after completion.

Make fat dumplings yourself

Especially in winter, you should also think about the birds that continue to look for food in the garden. If it has snowed, it becomes difficult for the animals to peck out of the ground the larvae and worms that have hidden here to spend the winter. Then it makes sense to hang fat balls in trees or on the terrace and a window. You can also make the dumplings yourself as follows:

• 150 grams of fat
• Tallow available from the butcher
• heat carefully
• Add 150 grams of mixture of grains
• cord in the middle
• shape everything into a ball
• let harden
• hanging

Build a bird and nest house

If you are handy and like to work with wood, you can build both a bird feeder and a nesting house . There are various building instructions on the web for this purpose, which you can quickly build yourself with a little experience. But there are also ready-made birdhouses and nesting houses. The bird feeder can still be set up and filled in winter. The nest box should be made available to the birds as early as possible in late winter.

Prepare insect hotel

For a cottage garden that shines with lots of colorful flowers in summer, an insect hotel can be prepared in winter and placed outside in spring. This attracts many useful insects that move in and overwinter here. With the insect hotel, the following should be observed:

• Ready-made kits on the market
• Shelter for several species of insects
• should be made of natural materials
• left in the garden all year round
• place near flowers and trees