No one wants to face an unhealthy, dying lawn when the weather turns warm again. Prevent that from happening when you follow this lawn care guide to protecting your grass from the cold and snowy conditions of winter. Doing so will give you a healthy and happy lawn come spring.

Clean It

Raking your lawn of leaves is critical to its health since debris can prevent sunlight from shining on your grass, thus encouraging disease. Before your grass turns dormant for the season, just mow and mulch the leaves into the lawn. After dormancy kicks in, it’s time to rake. Place the raked leaves under trees and shrubs to protect their roots during freezing temperatures.

Weed It

“Winter annual” weeds germinate in the late fall and sprout first thing in the spring. By being proactive and preventing these pesky plants in November, come March, your lawn will be weed free. Apply a pre-emergent weed killer that is suitable for cold temperatures.

Aerate It

Give your grass some fresh air before it’s covered in snow. Aeration punctures small holes in the soil to allow air, water, and nutrients to reach the turf’s roots. When this is done, your lawn will grow stronger and healthier and can more easily resist weeds.

You can hire a lawn care company to do the work for you or you can easily rent an aerator and do it yourself in about an hour, depending on the size of your lawn. Leave the soil plugs on the surface of the lawn and they will work themselves back into the soil over time.

Seed It

Overseed struggling areas of the lawn. Time the overseeding for 2-4 weeks before the first hard frost. Do not use herbicides or fertilizers on seeded areas.

Another option is to replace struggling areas with perennial groundcovers such as mondo grass, liriope, or juniper. They’ll fill any voids, reduce lawn maintenance, and provide year-round interest.

Feed It

Before your lawn goes dormant for the winter season, it needs to be fed. Applying a slow release nitrogen/potassium fertilizer that is specially formulated for winter will make your grass grow hardier. Then, water your lawn (only as much as necessary to work in the fertilizer) at the warmest time of day so that it can take full effect.

Mow It

Since over-seeding and fertilizing will keep your grass growing until the first hard frost, continue to mow your grass as needed.

Protect It

When it comes to winterizing, don’t forget your gear! Otherwise, when you’re ready to do some spring outdoor yard work, your tools won’t be ready for you.

• Drain the oil from mowers. Don’t forget to drop the oil off at a recycling center.
• Funnel extra gasoline into your automobile’s fuel tank or pour a fuel stabilizer into the mower’s gas tank and run the engine.
• Replace dirty fuel and air filters. Clean the spark plugs.
• Inspect equipment for missing screws, nuts, and caps. Replace them.
• Clean off grime and rust.
• Lubricate hinges and moving parts.

Now that your winter prep work is complete, once the weather turns warm again, you’ll be able to more fully enjoy relaxing on your outdoor patio furniture while looking out over your healthy sea of green.

Designing the interior of your home is often fun and exciting, and designing the exterior should be nothing less than that as well. There is a lot to consider when you prepare to purchase outdoor furniture, which is why we’ve compiled a list of the 4 most important patio furniture buying tips. Taking each of these items into account will make the experience a lot easier and less stressful than it otherwise would be.

1. Determine Your Style

Prior to picking out patio furniture, it is important to determine your style. If assigning a label to your particular style seems impossible, consider creating an idea board filled with pictures of outdoor items that you love. Seeing style and design elements you prefer all in one place may help you to see a pattern and identify your style.  

2. Set a Budget

Establishing a budget before you even begin searching for patio furniture can actually make finding items you love easier—you know before you even step foot in the store how much you’re able to pay for any given piece. It’s easy to wander through a store or online and find pieces that you love, but it really is important to know what you can afford before you get your heart set on something out of your price range.

3. Consider Your Space

The type and size of outdoor space you’re working with will have a huge impact on the type of outdoor furniture you’re looking for. If you’re hoping for an area to entertain guests, you may want to consider a bistro table and chairs for a small patio, rather than a large 7-piece dining set that would best fit in a larger space. You may want to consider multi-purpose pieces that offer extra storage when working with a smaller space to be sure you’re utilizing your space in the most efficient way possible.

4. Make a Plan

Once you’ve successfully determined the previous items, it’s time to make a plan. You make a list before you go to the grocery store to be sure you won’t overspend—why not do the same thing before making an investment in outdoor furniture? Do some research online to identify items that you like, so you have an idea of what you’re looking for before you head to the store. Doing so will help you avoid making an impulse purchase and ending up with items you don’t absolutely love, and, in the worst case, regret purchasing.

Love Your Patio Furniture

With all of these tips in mind, make sure you are picking patio furniture that you will love and enjoy for years to come. Knowing your preferred furniture style, budget, and space you can work with will help you develop a furniture buying plan that will be effective and worthwhile. You will also be able to better focus on the furniture pieces that are best fit for your patio or deck.