Why Winter is the best time to renovate your garden

South Africans love being in the garden in summer; but right now, it is mid-winter; and in the Western Cape it is freezing outside and it has been raining for weeks. Our gardens are drenched and forlorn. We’d all rather be tucked up next to a fire with hot chocolate than think about going ‘out there’. We’ll think about it later in the year because that’s when we want to be outside to enjoy it. Right?

If this sounds like good logic to you, think again. Here are good reasons why you should take advantage of the cold and wet Cape Town winters to landscape your garden.

1. SETTLING IN BEFORE SPRING:

Western Cape summers are hot, windy and dry – stressful conditions for plant growth. In contrast, the cool wet winters provide the very conditions that many plant species wait for all through the baking summer – cooler temperatures and abundant water. Homeowners may not see much happening above ground during winter, but the plants are settling in at root level and preparing for that burst of growth energy to follow in spring. By the time the hot dry conditions arrive, they will have had time to ‘harden’ off to the changing climate, be well-nourished, leading to healthier growth, and be more robust and able to withstand tougher conditions. Winter is a perfect time for planting.

2. WINTER IS THE BEST TIME TO MOVE THINGS AROUND THE GARDEN

In a garden needing renovation, there are frequently mature and valuable plants that are simply in the wrong place. They could be re-integrated into the new garden, even take up feature positions, if they can be moved; but moving them in summer puts them at a high risk of transplant shock. Undertake this operation during our wet winters, and one reduces the risk by 70% because plants are near dormant at this time, and in the rainy season they are not losing moisture through their foliage. Winter is also the perfect time to split and divide many species. Transplanting existing plants also has the added benefit of reducing the new plant component of your landscaping budget, as plant prices rise exponentially with maturity.

3. LESS EXPENSIVE WATER BILLS

Brand new gardens need more water than established gardens. If you only start landscaping in spring or summer, you will have to support the garden for longer using costly municipal supply. Landscaping in winter will be softer on your water bills later. It is also a great time to get those tanks in place to harvest as much rain water as you can to lessen the summer load on municipal water supply.

4.YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO OUTSIDE TO RENOVATE YOUR GARDEN

Hand it over to the professionals. Except for some short, targeted journeys into the cold, you won’t have to suffer the chilly outdoors to get it done, and you won’t waste money on costly plant mistakes. You tell us what you want to achieve, and we’ll bring the solution to you in plans and drawings while you stay next to the warmth of your crackling fire and steaming hot chocolate.

Above: This is how it starts. A professional landscaping team going in to rescue precious plants for later recycling back into the new garden.

5.YOU DON’T HAVE TO GET YOUR HANDS MUDDY

While you are enjoying cozier conditions indoors, teams of skilled craftsmen and gardeners can meticulously craft your garden for your summer enjoyment. With expert management oversight and approved plans guiding experienced installation teams, you can ‘avert your gaze’ until the muddy job is done; and since this is the time of year that you don’t want to be out there anyway, landscaping in winter is the perfect time to renovate your garden.

6. AVOID THE RUSH

Everyone else in Cape Town who cares enough about their garden in summer will start thinking about it in spring, or perhaps even as late as early summer. By then it might be too late to get it spruced up in time for family summer holidays as professional designers and their teams may be booked up and local supplies running low. With only a month or two to go, the hourglass to spring is running out. Take advantage of the best time to renovate your garden in the Western Cape. Start now.

The dream – 3D Render

Seize the opportunity presented by the wet and cold winter months. By leveraging this climate, you can construct your ideal summer garden right away, avoiding costly design and plant selection errors while staying warm, dry and mud-free.

“The deep satisfaction that is invested in a well-designed landscape goes beyond colour alone and comes from a multi-dimensional sensory experience that shifts and changes with the seasons and over time, but is nonetheless deeply rooted in its specific location.”

LUCY SCHNELL

SENIOR LANDSCAPE DESIGNER & BLOGGER FOR CONTOURS DESIGN STUDIO

N.D. Landscape Technology SACLAP registered Pr LM

082 422 2466  | 021 300 3398

lucy@contoursgroup.co.za | hello@contoursgroup.co.za

www.contoursdesignstudio.co.za