Patios are wonderful garden spaces that add greatly to the homeowner’s enjoyment of outdoor living. However, one of the patio ideas that not everyone remembers is to properly prepare it for winter. All patio equipment, including furniture, wicker plant stands, potted plants, barbecue and other items needs to be safely stored by late fall. When gardeners say they are “putting the garden to bed for the winter”, this includes the patio space with all its bits and pieces. Before the onslaught of freezing temperatures and snow, the homeowner should ensure all the summer additions to the patio are safely out of winter’s way.
Patio furniture should be washed down with a soft cloth. The cushions and chair seats should be placed in a dry room, like the garage or storage area. Iron furniture can be stored in the shed or covered with a tarp. Wicker furniture should be stored in a dry storage area, because moisture can be harmful to wicker. The barbecue should be cleaned and covered with a tarp and it is wise to remove the gas tank and store it out of the elements. Your outdoor patio heaters should be moved into your garage or some other safe place. A shed is the best place to store them – not the house – due to safety concerns. They have been known to explode in extreme temperature changes.
Potted plants should be brought indoors to continue growing throughout the winter. In extreme winter temperatures with constant freezing and thawing, ceramic and clay pots could crack and most annuals do not survive through the snow. While annuals are short lived, some can offer the gardener more than one growing season. If there is no room in the house for large potted standard shrubs and evergreens, gently lift and replant them in the garden. In extreme winters, some varieties like rose standards will have to be planted horizontally through the winter to protect the graft and stem from the drying winter winds.
All patio ornaments from gnomes to wall candelabras should be kept in a plastic bin and stored for the winter. The patio ideas the homeowner has had in decorating her patio can only be seasonal. When winter takes hold, all the time, expense and effort could be lost if the patio has not been prepared for it.
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