Everyone loves a beautiful yard. Something about thick, green grass and vibrant flower is so appealing. A beautiful yard makes people stop and take notice. But a beautiful yard doesn't just happen during the spring and summer months. Having a beautiful yard is a year round endeavor.

Unfortunately, many of us are ready to quit thinking about yard work when the weather gets cooler. But this is the time when you really need to focus and prepare so you can have a fabulous yard next season! So what are the things you must do if you want a great looking yard all year long?

There are several things you need to do to get your yard ready to go to sleep for winter and wake up stunning in the spring. But probably one of the most important things is to clean up. This is the time when you need to remove the debris and yard waste. Rotting leaves and dying plants provide a perfect place for disease and fungus to grow. This will cause problems in the spring, so you want to take action to prevent it. Make sure you rake up leaves and clean up grass clippings. Now is the time to pull out annuals and cut back dying foliage on perennials.

Just a note: When you are pulling out the annual flowers you might want to take a moment to harvest seeds to plant next year. Good plants to grow from seed are zinnias, snapdragons, and marigolds. Pull off the flower head and put them on a tray in a cool, dry place to completely dry out. Once they are dry, harvest the seeds and put them in a paper bag and store until next year. You can also harvest produce seeds such as pumpkins and peppers.

Once you have cleaned up your yard, it is time to apply a winter fertilizer to your lawn. This tip applies to areas that grow cool season grasses such as Kentucky Bluegrass, perennial ryegrass and fescues. These types of grasses generally are dormant during hot months, but start growing strong in the fall. If you apply a fertilizer that is high in nitrogen in the early fall, and one that is high in phosphorous in the late fall you can keep cool season grasses healthy.

You should also till up your garden and mix in some compost to improve the soil. You will want to plant your garden as soon as possible in the spring, so taking care of a lot of the prep in the fall can help you get your seeds in quicker when the temperatures are warm enough. You can also use a small garden tiller around shrubs and trees to aerate the soil and work compost into those areas as well.

You can have a beautiful yard all year by taking the time to prepare before the cold weather arrives. Just a few simple tasks can create the beauty you desire.