National Trust urges gardeners to do seven things in your garden now - but 'leave one plant alone'

It’s easy to assume that in winter you’re best off just leaving your garden alone but the reality is that, with the right care, your outdoor space can continue to thrive during the colder months.

Admittedly, knowing what jobs to get stuck into can be tricky - luckily, the National Trust has listed six things that their experts recommend you do in your garden to prepare the space for winter, plus one thing it’s best to leave alone.

Things to do in your garden this winter Prune the roses

The National Trust explains that ‘most types of roses’ need pruning in January and February, before their leaves begin to appear. They also explain that modern roses should be cut back ‘hard’, while the older varieties of rose should be ‘pruned more gently’.

Plant and prune trees and bushes

If you’ve been wanting to plant fruit trees and bushes, now is the time to get them. The National Trust advises that it’s best to plant these kinds of trees and bushes ‘between November and March’ but recommends checking to make sure the soil isn’t frozen when planting.

Turn the compost

According to the National Trust, now is also the perfect time to turn your compost. By turning your compost ahead of winter, you can ensure that it ‘breaks down well and is ready to use’ whenever you need it.

Be mindful of wildlife

Now’s the ideal time to stock up on bird food, according to the National Trust. To support wildlife living in your garden, they recommend keeping bird feeders stocked up and finding ways to gently ‘melt ice on your ponds’ so birds can drink.

If you don’t already have one, they also recommend adding a ‘bug hotel’ to your garden, to encourage bugs to visit your garden, creating a ‘healthy garden ecosystem’

Protect exterior taps

To avoid the risk of burst pipes, the charity also recommends ‘draining outside taps’ and then isolating them. If this isn’t an option, they recommend insulating exposed pipes instead.

Look after tender plants

They also recommend moving any tender plants - plants that struggle in cooler temperatures - to a ‘sheltered place’ or to cover them with ‘gardening fleece, hessian or straw’.

Leave perennials alone

The National Trust also revealed that it’s best to ‘leave perennials alone’ and although you might want to tidy them up, they advise not to be ‘tempted to be too tidy’ and that it’s best to leave ‘dry leaves and stems’ on these plants as it provides wildlife a place to use to keep warm.

They also advise leaving ‘dry seedheads’ as they’re a great source of nourishment for ‘birds and small mammals.