When it’s Winter in the Northwest, activities tend to move inside. It can be easy to forget about the beautiful landscaping you were enjoying a few months back.

However, the Winter is still a great time to think about what you need to do for your backyard or commercial property. You’ll keep the area safe to enjoy throughout the Winter and even get it ready for an easier transition to the Spring months.

Here are some things we’d recommend doing during the Winter to keep up with your landscaping.

Think About Your Hardscapes

When the leaves fall off the trees and snow hits the ground, you might notice that your backyard looks completely empty. If your landscaping is mostly made up of soft materials like greenery and plants, there won’t be much left during the Winter month.

To keep your landscaping interesting and appealing all year round, you’ll want to consider some hardscape options that add visual interest to your landscape.

What kind of hardscapes should you use? We love adding in benches, a trellis, or a pergola.

If you have potted plants outside, consider using decorative pots that will add some extra style to your area.

Applying Mulch

Your landscape needs a little bit of extra protection during the colder months. It helps to add some mulch around trees, plants, and shrubs. You just need about a 2-inch layer to maintain a uniform soil temperature and help reduce water loss.

Trimming & Pruning

The Winter months are an excellent time to trim your trees. Once the leaves fall, you can really see how the branches are growing in and spot any potential problem areas.

You can also spend some time pruning your bushes and plants. However, we do recommend you do this towards the end of Winter. This way, your plants will only be exposed to cold weather for a little while before they get ready for the new growth that Spring brings.

Handling Snow Damage

Whenever snow appears, there’s always a bit of a rush to get it cleared away. When you next see snow, pay attention to any branches that may be collecting snow loads. These might need to be trimmed to avoid big, dangerous piles.

While you also want to use salt on your walkways during snow storms or chilly days, be careful about getting the salt on your plants or trees. That salt can cause a lot of damage to the soil. If you’re not able to avoid getting salt on the soil, try to flush the soil afterward with plenty of water (when it’s warm enough, that is.)

Aerate & Fertilize

Before the first big freeze, you’ll want to make sure that you get someone to aerate and fertilize your lawn. This makes sure that when the weather starts to warm, your lawn is able to take in the fertilizer right away and get back to its original glory.

It’s also helpful to cut your grass a bit shorter than you normally would in the Winter to protect the grass from too much cold damage. We recommend cutting between 2 and 2.5 inches.

Need Winter Landscaping?

If you feel like you need a bit more help with your Winter landscaping, please reach out to us. This is also a great time to start thinking about and planning for any Spring and Summer projects you have on the horizon. We’d love to help!