What do gardeners do in the winter?

Just started your own gardening business or thinking of becoming a full-time gardener in the near future? Wondering the best way to keep business going through winter? We’re here to help. Many people question what gardeners do in winter, or think that there’s not as much to do during the cold months.

But that’s a misnomer – in fact, many gardeners will be busy through winter, preparing, planning, and pruning for the spring months ahead.

If you’re looking at your business plan and wondering ‘how do gardeners make money in winter?’ then good news. There are lots of winter gardening services you can offer to your customers during a cold snap.

What do gardeners do in the winter?

The short answer is that there’s actually a lot you can do in a garden during winter. Preparing during the cold months will help a garden to flourish in spring and summer. Take a look at some of these ideas, and consider suggesting some of these ideas to new and long-term customers.

Look after perennial plants

If you’ve installed perennial plants in pots for a customer and they’ve not been transferred into the ground, you’ll need to prepare them for winter.

This might involve heeling the plants and containers into the ground before the soil freezes. Alternatively, potted perennials can be overwintered in an unheated space like a garage or shed.

Planting

Your customer base might think that there’s not a lot that can be planted in winter. But if they’re hoping to install fruit trees and hedges, then winter is the time to get planning and planting. Expert winter gardening services will ensure that they have the garden they want come summertime.

Pruning plants

Not everything in a garden will need to be pruned and cut back in winter. But for many plants, trees, flowers, and shrubs, winter is the best time to prune. If your customers’ gardens feature deciduous plants, then suggest pruning so that they can regrow and balance their roots.

Know that your client’s garden is home to apples, pears, roses, or fruit bushes? Then during winter, it might be worth dropping them a line to talk about your winter gardening services. All of these plants will benefit from pruning in winter, and it will help them to grow stronger come spring.

Cutting back borders

On a similar point, winter can be a great time to suggest that your customers think about cutting back borders. If you have high winds in your area, borders can start looking torn up and messy through winter if they’re not trimmed back.

Compost

If you’ve got compost from the spring and summer months, now is a great time to put it back into beds. Borders will especially benefit from a good coating of compost. It helps to insulate perennials from frost, as well as nourishing plants and soil ahead of spring.

Greenhouse maintenance

It’s easy to overlook a greenhouse in winter, but winterising greenhouses is a valuable service that gardeners can offer. Winterising a greenhouse aims to help plants survive through the cold months.

If your customer has a greenhouse, offer your gardening services for the winter. That could mean repairing panels, cleaning out mildew and mould, and insulating plants to help them last through the winter.

Do landscapers work in the winter?

Whether you’ve recently started a landscaping business or added it to your existing gardening trade, you might be wondering if landscapers work in the winter.

The simple answer is yes: landscapers can work in the winter, provided they wear the right landscaping gear. As there’s plenty to be working on in the winter months.

Time to build and plan

As gardens aren’t being used as much during winter, landscapers can plan and build without as much disruption to customers and neighbours. There’s also less chance of disturbing wildlife.

Tree maintenance

Most trees and plants will be dormant, with less sap and pollen to worry about, so it’s a good time to work on treating and trimming trees.

Concrete and paving

It’s also worth bearing in mind that concrete sets slowly and steadily in mild weather. So if you’re looking at paving or adding features, early autumn or winter can be a good time to get started.

Turfing

As long as the soil can be laid properly, turfing can be done during winter – and it can actually be easier to keep the soil moist. The grass also has time to put down strong roots before it grows, which can have long-term benefits.

Tips to help gardeners make money in winter

So now you know what gardeners can do in winter – but turning that into business can be a bit trickier. While there’s plenty you can be doing in the chillier months in the garden, it’s also a great time to start planning for the year ahead. Use this time to make sure your marketing is in top shape, and set yourself up for a bright spring and summer season.

Don’t forget there are also additional services you could offer that can also be carried out in winter. For example, you could upskill for jobs such as pond maintenance and greenhouse installation, that can also provide income during colder weather.

Here are some suggestions for keeping both potential and existing customers informed about your winter gardening and landscaping services.

Social media Q&A content

People might naturally be curious about what gardeners do in winter, so use that to your advantage. Winter is a great time to grow your social media following, with more of us staying inside in the evenings and scrolling away!

Ask your audience what they’re interested in, or what they’d like to know about gardening tips in winter. If you’re happy being on camera, record some short Q&A videos, or even just write a post about common questions for gardeners in winter.

Take before and after photos

We’ve touched on this before when talking about top landscaper marketing tips, but before and after shots of gardens are always popular, especially on social media.

A photo of your customer’s garden in winter and summer helps show how important it is to plan ahead. And if you’re working with a new customer, don’t forget to take those ‘before’ shots so you can show off your hard work in the summer.

Print marketing

If you don’t have a big online presence, print marketing can be a great way to introduce a new offering like winter gardening services. Create flyers explaining what you can offer in the winter months, and drop them around areas where you know houses have large gardens.

Build customer loyalty

If you’ve worked with customers in summer already, now’s the time to build long-term loyalty by explaining exactly what you’d recommend for their garden in winter. Demonstrating that you’re available all year round helps to build trust, so customers know to rely on your services whenever they need gardening help.

Market your gardening business with Checkatrade

One of the best ways to market your gardening business year-round is to sign up to join Checkatrade. Being a part of our network can help you build your reputation, generate more leads, and get exclusive discounts for your business essentials.

During the quieter winter months, make sure that you’re making the most of your marketing. Take a look at why it’s worth being featured in the Checkatrade directory. Or perhaps you could work on developing your Checkatrade profile and making sure your images and information are up to date.