According to Ceri Thomas, editor of Gardening Which?, the now unpredictable weather could mean that many homeowners could find themselves cutting their lawn "in the middle of December". Consequently, she reported that such conditions may provide an ideal opportunity for people to get out into their gardens to prepare them for the colder months. The gardening expert claimed that "quite a lot of plants that do look good now", suggesting that the likes of hardy cyclamen, dogwoods with colourful bark and witch hazel make for attractive winter decorations.



In addition, she reported that filling a container with flowers such as violas and pansies can also bring colour to gardens, with a competitively-priced homeowner loan one possible way of meeting the cost of such property improvements. However, for those plants which may not survive the winter period, for example pelagoniums and fuschias, consumers were advised to wrap them up in items such as bubblewrap plastic or a fleece to help avoid the financial difficulties that replace such items can entail should people have to repurchase them if they do not survive colder months.

She said: "Really it's a time of year when things aren't growing particularly much, so you can be thinking about whether the layout of the garden is working ... or whether there is anything you can do to improve things, [or] looking back at any notes you made over the summer or photos you took."

Ms Thomas also pointed out that there are a "lot of catalogues out at the moment" documenting the various seeds and plants which are available for next spring and summer. However, she claimed that budding Alan Titchmarshes and Charlie Dimmocks wanting specific items should look to place their orders for such products immediately before they have sold out.

In addition, the Gardening Which? editor reported that gardeners should look to move equipment such as lawnmowers and secateurs inside from the outdoors environment as the nights become colder. Winter, she claimed, is an ideal time to clean and sharpen the blades on such items ahead of the following spring. However, should they find that their gardening tools are in need of replacement, then applying for a loan could be one way in which to meet such expenses effectively.

Taking the time to carry out garden improvements, whether this is funded through a homeowner loan or by other means, can not only make consumers' homes look more attractive but also boost their value. In turn, property owners could also have access to larger secured loans should they wish to wish to withdraw the equity that their house has built up. Earlier this year, research conducted by Halifax Estate Agents revealed that elements such as mature shrubs and trees set inside a paved area such as a patio can help to increase the cost of a property should it go up for sale. The study also revealed that 58 per cent of consumers see flagged patios as an attractive garden feature, while just over a third (37 per cent) are looking to have decking laid out.