Prepping to trade vibrant fall foliage for ice-and-snow-covered everything isn’t always exciting. But, with these tips and tricks for your final fall cleanup, you’ll have your yard ready for winter — and even more ready to welcome the first big melt of spring!

Prep to start spring with a clean slate.
The first major step in your final fall yard & landscaping cleanup should always be clearing out your flower beds —  so, dust off your spade and your pruning shears! Trim back items like hydrangea and hostas, shape your shrubs, and get rid of any failures in your flower beds.

After all, fall’s the perfect time to evaluate your plantings. Think about which plants and flowers thrived last year and which ones shriveled in the summer heat (or never took off at all). Pull up the roots on those that didn’t fare well, and start dreaming of which beauties will fill your flower bed next year!

Get a head start on your planting.
Think you have to wait until the first signs of spring to start putting your blooming beauties in the ground? Think again! Fall is, surprisingly, the perfect time to start planting many common bulbs like daffodils and tulips. So, buy some bulbs, get them in the ground, and cover them well with a few inches of mulch to protect your precious plantings all through winter so you can enjoy their beauty come spring.

Give your grass some extra attention.
It can be tempting to let your yard go in the last few weeks of fall (it’s going to get covered in snow soon anyway, right?). But, avoid letting your grass grow wild right before chilly weather sets in. Late fall is when your grass is starting to soak up extra nutrients to help it live through the long winter, so give it one final clean cut, spray for weeds, aerate, remove the last batch of fallen leaves, and get ready to enjoy a lush, green lawn come spring!