We thought this summer would never end here in Northern Virginia, but fall seems to have come to stay, and winter is just around the corner. The distinct and lovely seasons, each with its own special magic and beauty, are one of our favorite things about our region. While summer tends to be super busy for landscapers, there is so much we can do in late fall and early winter to make landscapes healthy and hardy. Winter is a season of quiet beauty, a time for our landscapes to rest and recover. For homeowners, winter is a time to catch up, clean up and prepare for spring growth.
What Are My Landscaping Must-Dos for Winter?
As temperatures drop, you may be breathing a sigh of relief that mowing season is over. It’s best to turn your focus to tidying up and keeping plants healthy in the cold months. Here are some of the most important winter landscaping tasks:
- Pruning: Late fall is the perfect time for cutting back after summer’s growth. Let’s get those trees, shrubs and perennials pruned and ready for spring. This includes both evergreens and deciduous trees and shrubs. Trimming branches helps avoid damage during winter wind and snow and also keeps plants looking neat and tidy all winter.
- Mulching not only keeps your yard looking great, it’s also an excellent way to protect your plants over the winter, helping keep roots warm and preserve moisture during the dry winter months. Late fall is the perfect time to remove old mulch and spread new mulch.
- Clean up: remove leaves and debris from your yard to allow precious sunlight to reach your lawn during the short winter days. Leaf mulching is a great way to handle organic debris as it clears leaves from the lawn and returns nutrients to the soil.
- Tidy flower beds, remove dead annuals and trim back spent perennials.
- Wrap and secure sensitive plants. Winter snow, ice and wind can be tough on young and/or delicate plants. Tie up shrubs to keep snow from breaking their limbs. Stake young trees from winter winds.
- October is an ideal time to plant bulbs for spring. Get them in the ground before frost is an issue, giving those gorgeous tulips and chance to store up energy for spring bloom.
- Clean and up and put away gardening and lawn maintenance equipment. Winterize your irrigation systems and make sure all water sources are shut off. Late fall is also a good time to clean your gutters.
Winter Landscaping: Call In the Pros
Of course, landscaping services are in demand all summer long as mowing and weeding take up much of our time and focus. But while mowing is pretty straightforward, fall and winter landscape maintenance requires a thoughtful approach. Experience and know-how are key to fall planning, planting, pruning and clean-up. These are jobs that require forethought and a skilled touch. That’s why calling in a pro for your fall and winter landscaping tasks makes so much sense. At Epling, we have the experienced team you need to put your plants to bed and give them an easy rest for a vibrant landscape next spring.
