Putting your landscape to bed for winter is a relatively low-maintenance task of cleaning up and covering up. And while it appears as if all activity in the garden has stopped, there’s a lot going on under the soil until it freezes.

Here are a few tips to get your landscape in shape before winter sets in:

For every garden task, use Hestra Gloves to protect your hands. These gloves are durable and long-lasting. Gloves are available for a variety of different projects. Use your shoe size to find your perfect pair!

There are two ways to tackle fallen leaves: Rake and bag them to keep garden beds looking good; or mow and mulch them into landscape beds where they’ll nourish and improve the quality of soil.

• If you like clean garden beds for winter, remove the fallen leaves and place them into lawn and leaf bags for curbside recycling. Use a Lawn Funnel to make this process easier and faster. The Lawn Funnel will keep the bag open and upright. It is very durable and will last for years.

• Be sure to apply a fresh layer of mulch to protect perennials and bulbs through the winter months.
• If you mulch leaves back into your beds, be sure to chop them up with a mulching mower so they break down quicker and turn into nutrients. Oak leaves can take up to seven years to decompose if they’re not chopped up.

Trim perennials down to the ground. This will energize them to come back healthy next year. Cut back perennials to soil level after the first frost to neaten the garden and remove potential disease risks. Prune off diseased foliage from evergreen plants and shrubs and discard it in the trash. Rake up and discard the old, disease-bearing mulch, too.

• Leave stems with attractive seed heads for winter interest.

Most likely, the mulch you spread to protect soil during the summer months has substantially decomposed. It’s important to spread new mulch now – a thicker layer for winter – to protect plants and soil from freezing temperatures.

If you have drip irrigation systems or soaker hoses in your garden, it’s time to reel them back in for the season. Make sure all of your hoses and water systems are completely drained and put away before the first frost.

Get a head start on spring and clean your tools. After the yard work is finished for the season, give your tools a good cleaning and sharpen any dull blades before putting them away.

Visit your local English gardens for more tips and products to make your fall clean up easier. Get your yard and garden ready for winter and check out our tips for winter preparation here.