Get Your Backyard Winter Ready
Winter is coming, meaning your backyard is about to go from summer and fall hangout paradise to a sleepy frozen wasteland unless you give it a little bit of love first.
You can ignore it and pretend nature will handle things for you. But winter has a way of punishing procrastinators, so before the cold completely takes over, call in any needed help, like pool cleaning services, and start prepping your outdoor space for its chilly hibernation.
Here’s how to get your backyard winter-ready without losing your sanity or half your patio furniture to a snowstorm. The great part? Your kids can help too!
Give Your Yard One Last Cleanup
Think…tucking in your backyard for bed. Clear away fallen leaves, dead plants, and anything that might rot or mold under snow or rain. A quick rake, a trash bag, and 20 minutes of effort now will save you from hosting a springtime bug convention later. Your lawn will thank you by coming back greener instead of patchy and passive-aggressive.
Protect Your Plants
Not every plant enjoys winter. Some handle cold, like champions, and others look at frost and immediately give up on life. To help things survive, add mulch around the base of shrubs and perennials, wrap your vulnerable plants with burlap, and move your potted plants to a protected spot. It’s also a great idea to trim anything that looks past its prime. You don’t have to become a plant therapist; just give them a fighting chance.
Store or Put a Cover Over Your Outdoor Furniture
Your outdoor furniture may be weather-resistant in its materials, but it doesn’t mean it wants to face an icy smackdown or winter long. If you can store it in a shed or a garage, perfect. If not, invest in durable covers. And no, throwing an old bed sheet over it does not count. It will freeze, mold, and flap around like a ghost having a meltdown.
Check Your Deck
Before winter moisture arrives, make sure that your deck is ready. Sweep away the debris, wash off the dirt and grime, and seal the wood if it hasn’t been sealed in a while. Winter is hard on surfaces, so a little preparation now prevents cracks, warping, and the ‘why is this turning grey?’ panic in spring.
Shut Down Your Water Features
Unless you like ice sculptures, you need to get your hoses, sprinklers, fountains, and anything with water drained before freezing temperatures set in, frozen pipes are the stuff of homeowner nightmares. So disconnect the hoses and shut off the exterior taps. If you have a fountain or pond, follow the manufacturer’s winterizing instructions, or at the very least, unplug things before they become frozen decorations.
Seasonal TLC
Backyard winter-ready doesn’t have to be complicated; it’s just a little seasonal TLC. Cleaning up, covering up, and shutting down the water while securing everything that might blow will be the best thing that you can do for the season. This way, you don’t have to worry about the way your garden will reappear come spring.Â
