Caring for outdoor wooden decorations: a year-round checklist

Every piece that leaves the workshop is pressure-treated and finished with a clear weatherproof coat, but wood is wood. A bit of attention twice a year doubles the useful life of anything sitting outside in British weather.

In spring, give the piece a once-over with a soft brush and warm soapy water. Look at the joints — that is where moisture tends to gather. If you spot any greyed areas, a coat of clear exterior wood oil restores both the colour and the water-shedding layer.

Summer is the easy season. Keep an eye on anything that has crept underneath — climbing plants love to wind around windmill legs and wishing-well roofs. Trim them back; trapped greenery holds water against the wood and accelerates ageing.

Autumn is when we recommend re-oiling. The wood has been through six months of sun, and the timber will drink in a thin coat of oil happily. Choose a dry afternoon; brush on, leave for an hour, wipe off the excess. Done.

Winter is where most people overdo it. Wooden pieces survive frost; what they do not love is sitting on permanently wet ground. If a planter or wishing-well is in a notoriously soggy spot, raise it on two or three patio bricks. Air underneath does more than any product.