As you place the trimmings on the tree and plan menus for holiday soirees while checking off the people on your gift list, there’s one more preparation that the winter season requires: prepping your garden for the cold weather ahead with a little landscape maintenance.

Below, follow these simple steps for winterizing your garden:

1)    Nurture the Young: Using plastic or wire mesh tree guards around the fragile trunks of new trees and shrubs, safeguard your growing greenery against animals that will be tempted to gnaw at them, like rabbits and mice. When putting the guards in place, be sure to measure so they come above normal snowfall levels in your area as an added layer of protection.

2)    Quench Thirst: Until the soil becomes frozen, it’s important to remember to continue watering your trees, particularly evergreens. Though famous for maintaining their color year-round, evergreens nevertheless require a stockpile of moisture to make it through winter since they don’t lose their leaves, meaning they give off water vapor even when it’s cold.

3)    Gather Together: Use a rake to get rid of any fallen leaves, which can suffocate grass, ultimately debilitating it. Shredding old leaves makes for great mulch in the winter on flowerbeds, and also enriches compost.

4)    Cleanup: When it comes to your perennial garden areas, you can do one of two things: leave the foliage for winter interest and fodder for birds or dig up decaying plants for neat beds come spring.

5)    Get a Head Start: Plant your spring bulbs before the ground freezes over in well-drained soil so that you’ll have beautiful blooms when the weather starts warming up. To protect against pesky rodents, use cages or a sprinkling of red pepper when planting.

Need help managing this list of chores amongst your other holiday season affairs? The landscape maintenance staff at Rhine Landscaping in Maryland can help you get your garden all ready to brace the cold weather this winter.

Call us today at 410-442-2445 or click here for more information.