While Bahrain’s winters are mild, preparing your garden for the cooler months can help keep your outdoor space looking vibrant and healthy. With a few adjustments, you can ensure your garden thrives all season. October is the perfect month to get your garden ready and make sure it’s in top shape for the change in weather. We bring you some practical tips and tricks and hear from the experts on how to get your garden winter ready. So, put on your gardening gloves and let’s get to work!

PREPPING YOUR GARDEN FOR WINTER

Check out some essential tips to get your garden looking fresh and healthy and the envy of your neighbours.

Top Tips & Tricks

• Prepping the Beds: Start by cleaning up – remove any weeds and dead plants, making space for new growth. Then, turn the soil to loosen it, which helps with root aeration and drainage during cooler, damper weather. Add a layer of mulch to keep the soil moist and protect the roots.
• Pruning and Fertilising: Prune overgrown shrubs and trees to promote healthy growth during the cooler season. However, avoid heavy pruning, as that can stress the plants. Fertilising is key to feeding your soil and encouraging strong plant development. Opt for slow-release organic fertilisers for sustained nutrition throughout the season.
• Sustainable Ways to Prep: Adopt sustainable practices like composting your garden waste. Gather fallen leaves and kitchen scraps to create nutrient-rich compost that will feed your plants throughout the season. For watering, install a drip irrigation system, which delivers water directly to the roots, minimising evaporation and reducing water waste.

Ways To Brighten Your Garden

Winter doesn’t mean your garden has to lose its charm. With a few creative touches, you can enjoy a bright, beautiful garden and keep it cosy and welcoming all season long.

• Warm Lighting: Drape colourful fairy lights over your shrubs, around trees or use solar-powered tiki torches along garden pathways to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. Choose energy-efficient, eco-friendly options to keep your garden both beautiful and sustainable.
• Revamp Your Garden Furniture: Brighten your seating area with vibrant outdoor cushions. Choose colours like coral, teal or mustard to add warmth and cheer to the space. Don’t be afraid to mix patterns or textures – this adds a playful vibe to your garden.
• Incorporate Winter Flowers: Certain plants, such as calendulas, pansies and petunias can flourish in cooler temperatures, adding vibrant hues throughout your garden. Consider planting them in colourful pots to enhance the visual appeal even further.
• Decorative Garden Features: Garden ornaments like bright bird feeders, outdoor sculptures or wind chimes can add visual interest. You can also paint your fences or garden pots in cheerful shades to create a lively look during the cooler months.

HEAR FROM THE EXPERTS

The Bahrain Garden Club, the first and only one of its kind on the island, has been run since 1965 by a group of passionate local and expatriate gardeners. Chairwoman and Horticulturist, Zahra Abdul Malik, and avid gardener and club member, Irina Averinos, share their tips on gardening in Bahrain and making your own fertilisers.

In today’s fast-paced world, gardening should not be a source of stress or demand too much of your time. With a little know-how and practice, even a small plot can yield impressive results with minimal effort.

Essential Garden Tools

• Spade, fork, rake, trowel and hoe.
• Stainless steel tools are best because they don’t rust.
• Powered hedge trimmers and chainsaws can also be useful. Growing Flowers & Veggies
• More than 30 varieties grow successfully in Bahrain’s climate.
• Flower beds must be cleared of fallen leaves, debris and compost and organic manure added.
• Flower and vegetable seeds, seedlings and bulbs can be purchased from local garden centres.
• Container gardening is ideal for those whose gardening activities are restricted to balconies, small spaces or even vertical units on walls. Many herbs, vegetables, flowers and small shrubs can be grown in these settings.
• The best flowers and bulbs for winter include salvia, lobelia, alyssum, stock, zinnia, marigolds, impatiens, coleus, anthuriums, petunias, gladiolus, tulips, iris and hyacinths. Sow flower seeds now and plant bulbs in November.
• Vegetables are best grown from seedlings, including tomatoes, beans, cucumber, eggplant, onions, turnip, beet and leafy veggies.

Quick and Easy Home Fertilisers
Both indoor and outdoor garden spaces will benefit from these easy-to-make home fertilisers.
Banana Peel is one of the highest organic sources of potassium (42%), which straightens the stems, helps plants flower and improves the quality of the fruit.

Dried Banana Peel Fertiliser
Collect banana peels and sun-dry them until they become black and crispy. Grind the peels into a fine powder. Add one tablespoon of the powder to your plant soil and water the plant as usual. Repeat after two weeks.

Liquid Banana Tea Fertiliser
Fill a glass jar with banana peels, add water and let stand for two to three days. Remove banana skins and pour the tea into a bigger vessel. Dilute with water (1:5 ratio) for watering your plants. It can also be used as a plant shower for diseased plants.
The Bahrain Garden Club has various gardening workshops and events throughout the year. It also holds educational programmes on Tuesdays. It is free for club members and BD2 for guests. New members are welcome! ✤

GO: CALL 1772 7625 OR 3977 4194, VISIT WWW.BAHRAINGARDENCLUB.COM OR @BAHRAIN.GARDEN.CLUB ON INSTAGRAM FOR MORE INFORMATION.