A well maintained yard is a thing of beauty but that beauty takes work. Even as the winter months approach, you need to take steps to make sure you will have a healthy yard next spring. If you follow these tips you will be rewarded with a beautiful yard when the days are warm again.

Clean Up
Probably the most important thing you can do to have a healthy yard in the spring is to clean it up in the fall. Just like you would spring clean your home, you should fall clean your yard. So exactly what should you do when you are fall cleaning? To put it simply, you are getting your yard ready for bed. Many of your trees and shrubs will go dormant during the cold months, but some plants need a little extra tucking in if they are to come back strong in the spring.

First of all you need to do a general clean up. Rake leaves and grass clippings. Pull weeds and remove the dead and dying annuals. Not only will this make your yard look nice and neat during the winter months, but it will help to prevent disease from growing and spreading.

This is not the time to prune - even if you may be tempted! Pruning actually encourages the plant to grow so there is the possibility of causing winter kill if you prune before cold months hit. In addition to possibly causing damage to the plant, many flowering shrubs flower on old wood. This means next spring they will flower on the growth that occurred last year. If you prune that off, you will also prune off your potential flowers.

Just a note here - if you want to harvest the seeds from your annuals now is the time to do it. Take the dead flower heads and put them on a tray or in a shallow bowl. Put them in a dry location and allow them to dry completely. Then gently massage the flower head until the seeds drop out. Don't worry if you have flower petals mixed in. Store the dry seeds in a zipper storage bag in a dry, dark location like a storage room. Next spring sprinkle the seeds in the ground like you would seeds purchased from a store.

Plant Bulbs
How many times have you noticed beautiful tulips and daffodils blooming in the spring and wish you would have remembered to plant them in the fall? Well remember this year! Make sure you purchase high quality bulbs that are firm and healthy looking. As you plant the bulbs, put a little bone meal in the planting hole to feed the bulb. Bulbs will be growing during the winter so you want them well nourished!

Protect
Some plants need a little extra protection from harsh winter winds and cold. Make sure you check with your local nursery to find out what plants in your area need extra care. It is always best to follow the local guidelines for protecting your plants, but you can use clean straw to protect some tender plants from the harmful effects of the cold.

These few simple steps may take you a little time, but the work will be well worth it when you enjoy your beautiful yard next spring!