With the range of jobs that can be done limited by the winter climate, now may be the ideal time to get to work cleaning garden tools.
Joe Lamp'l, green-fingered host of the US television show Growing a Greener World, offered some tips on how to best keep the garden equipment in shape in an article for Scripps Howard News Service.
"As the gardening season comes to a close, now is the time to keep your tools in tip-top shape with some end-of-the-year maintenance," he remarked.
First, he suggested any mud is cleaned off, using a wire brush or steel wool to deal with any hardened soil.
Pruners could be cleaned by disassembling the two halves, removing any excess dirt and using lubricant to coat the metal parts.
Scrubbing and wiping down with an old cloth was also recommended.
A whetstone is required to sharpen any blades, using it to grind a new edge, matching the angle of the old blade until the metal becomes shiny again.
Snow shovels also need to be kept in good condition and they may see a lot of use throughout the colder season.
To clean shovels and spades, Mr Lamp'l advised securing these tools in a vice and using a flat mill file to smooth the edges before applying light machine oil to remove any burr raised on the back.
"Good garden tools are like old friends … it takes some time and effort to get familiar and comfortable with them," the expert commented, adding: "Using that perfectly broken-in spade, weeder or trusty pair of pruners can make pleasant work of even the toughest gardening chores."
Some equipment may not be best kept in storage yet, however, as principal horticultural advisor at the Royal Horticultural Society Leigh Hunt recently suggested taking advantage of any patch of mild weather to get out the lawn mower, as grass will still need cutting over winter.
