With the weather taking a turn for the worse in recent days, buy-to-let landlords who own properties with gardens would do well to ensure their properties are winter-ready before temperatures potentially plunge to levels much colder. 

In many cases, tenants are responsible for looking after the garden in a rental property, but the harsh reality is that many renters are simply not green fingered or do not have the time to protect their gardens against the worst of the weather, and that is where you as a landlord could potentially help. 

Ben Dyer, CEO of Powered Now, a mobile-based billing, invoicing and quotation application which specialises in trades, has offered insight from the trades on some top tips to help people get their gardens ready for the cooler months:

+ Replace your summer pots and baskets with evergreens and winter bedding plants – heathers and pansies are particularly versatile during winter

+ Clean up – make sure to deadhead and prune any summer and autumn flowering shrubs before the first winter frost. Make sure to remove any delicate plants or bulbs that might be susceptible to frost damage and place them in a cool, dry place

+ Rake the lawn – getting rid of any moss and waste will aid ventilation and drainage, which will help your grass establish firm roots during the colder months 

+ Add nutrients – add compost or nutrient-rich manure to your beds now to make sure that your plants are healthier next year. Winter months are the perfect time to spread this around your garden to make sure your plants are happy, come spring.