Winter is almost here! Is your backyard ready to face it? All through spring, summer, and fall your outdoor oasis serves as your nature resort, away from the hectic pace of the outside world. Come winter and it becomes the most neglected space. Of course, the cold does make it a tough time to go out for yard maintenance. But a little push to your will can give you a head start for when spring arrives.
This year prep for spring while you protect your outdoor lawn and garden through the winter months.
1. Clean Up
Get rid of any weeds or invasive plants that might have set in during fall. One of the best ways to protect your outdoor garden is to use a snowed-in enclosure. This is a shelter for them to breed as soon as the snow melts, making your garden their home for the spring season. Additionally, remove all dead and decaying plants from the garden. Freezing them under the snow may spread the disease through the soil and make it difficult for plants to flourish in spring.
2. Trim, Prune, and Mulch
Carefully trim and prune shrubs and trees. You can ask a local nursery to help you decide which ones need to be shaved off, and which ones can be covered to protect them as it begins to snow. Remove all debris from the lawn, clean up your edge covers, and give the lawn a last mow.
Mulch the soil beds. Mulch insulates the garden bed from the chilling snow and prevents soil erosion. Additionally, as the snow melts, the mulch is broken down and nutrition starts to penetrate the soil for the spring plants to flourish. A thick layer of mulch protects any root vegetables you might have left for a winter harvest from the frost.
3. Winterize Your Landscape
Add winter elements, such as some lights and colorful screens, to give life to your outdoor space during winter. Check out the drainage and make sure irrigation is shut and prepped for winter. Tie all heavy or loose branches to protect them from the wind and snow.
4. Install Protective Enclosures
A protective enclosure can add a layer of safety for the outdoor area and prevent any snow from sliding in while the outdoor is shoveled. In addition, these enclosures work to block strong winds and thus protect the lawn.
5. Arrange Food and Shelter for the Wild
All birds do not go south for the winter; some stay back. Help them by installing small shelters and replenishing the food and water from time to time. The shelters enhance the look of your patio and give you the pleasure of having winter birds nest outside your home. You can leave your perennial flower seeds, stalks, and leaves to provide winter protection to little creatures.
While prepping your soil and plants for the winter, you can also install markers across the area, so that you know where and how much to de-ice. Mark any hard and big objects that may get snow-covered. Bring all the furniture inside. Additionally, you can use protective layering to cover stone, brick, and wood establishments to help sustain them through the season.