Winter

During the dormant winter period, less hardy plants may succumb to frost, or to cold excessively wet soil. Leaves may become frost-bitten and roots can rot. So it's important to protect your plants before first frosts strike to ensure the continued health of your plant.

The level of winter protection required depends on where you live and how exposed the planting area is. In sheltered suburban areas you may get away with not protecting tender plants at all. However, if you are going to experiment, do pay attention to weather forecasts - don't get caught out by a sudden hard frost.

Plants trained against walls or tender plants growing in the open can be protected with simple fleece-covered frames. Alternatively, sandwich a layer of bracken leaves or straw between two large sections of chicken wire and use this to cover plants during frosty evenings. Tender bulbs, corms and tender herbaceous plants (that die back) should be covered with a thick mulch of manure, straw or old leaves to prevent the soil from freezing.

In the spring, new shoots can be protected with a loose layer of straw or a bell-cloche.Protect the crowns of tree ferns and insulate their trunks by wrapping
them in layers of fleece or hessian stuffed with straw.

Source: www.athelasplants.co.uk