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The enthusiasm for gardening on a cold winter day is often zero, yet the rewards for a little attention in the garden at this time of year can yield long term benefits.  The good news is, some great decisions on improving your garden can be made from the comfort of your lounge. 

1. Does your garden have a dull or uninspiring corner? An easy, low maintenance fix is to add a garden sculpture. The garden centres and Trade Me are full of options. If you go for something such as a bird feeder, place three or four pavers leading to it for simple access - plus a little path in the garden adds interest.
   

2. Does your garden look over-grown and unkempt? Cut back the worst offenders – or remove them altogether! Repeat planting of one or two varieties adds structure and cohesion to a garden. The new Pittosporum ‘golf ball’ is low maintenance and has lush green foliage that looks great all year round.
   

3. Does your garden lack winter cheer? Visit a garden centre (a great place to meet friends for a coffee) and look for two or three flowering shrubs that will provide colour at this time of year, as well as providing a relaxing green backdrop on those hot summer days. 
   

On a sunny winter day, you can implement the changes and carry out general garden maintenance such as:

4. Prune fruit trees and roses. Follow up pruning with a spray of copper oxychloride and conquer spraying oil. Bonus tip: Dwarf fruit trees look great in a flower garden.
   

5. Weeds are slow to grow at this time of year which means one good clean up can usually keep the garden tidy for weeks. A simple mulch will then keep the weeds away for months.
   

6. Herbs can look great in the flower garden with the bonus of being useful in your cooking, obviously! In warmer areas a Meyer lemon tree is essential – providing lemons for many months.