Getting Homes and Gardens Ready for Winter

Fall Checklist For Winterizing Both Indoor and Outdoor Spaces

Aug 27, 2009 Laurie Pizans

Properly preparing the home and gardens for the winter season is just as important as the work that is put into them to keep them beautiful during the growing season.

By the time the growing season draws to an end, even avid gardeners seem glad that they can take of the gardening gloves and put away the rakes, shovels for the season. But a true gardener knows that the work does not stop when the blooms begin to wither and die off. In order to maintain a healthy lawn and garden during the spring and summer months, there is plenty of work that must be done in the fall.

The same applies for the home. If it is expected to run efficiently and keep its occupants warm during the winter months, there are things that must be done each fall.

Winterizing the Home

The following steps will help to prevent potential winter disasters, and keep the home running more efficiently.

To keep heating bills down, have the furnace serviced and cleaned each fall.
Change furnace filters regularly to ensure that it runs efficiently.
Check all doors and windows for drafts. Close off any drafty areas with weather stripping or fill with foam caulking. Caulking comes in many colors and is available in both indoor or outdoor, so before purchasing, always read labels carefully to be sure that it is the right product for the job.
Exterior walls, attics and basements that are not properly insulated can result in heat loss and increase heating costs. Replace or add to any insulation that is not providing the insulation value that it is supposed to.
If the home has a wood burning fireplace, clean or have the chimney cleaned before the beginning of each burning season.
Clean all debris from gutters and down pipes.

Winterizing the Lawn

A beautiful, well maintained lawn is a big part of a home's curb appeal. Keeping it looking great is easy when the right steps are taken in the fall.

In the fall give the entire lawn a thorough raking to remove all leaves and debris that may have accumulated over the spring and summer months. Add the debris to the compost bin.
It is a good idea to aerate lawns in the fall. Aeration pulls small bits of soil from the lawn which allows more water, air and nutrients to circulate through the soil. Aerators are available at to rent at most home and garden centers.
Give the lawn one final mowing before the start of the cold weather.
Apply an environmentally friendly fertilizer. There are many organic and chemical free fertilizers available on the market.
Reseed any sparse or bare patches of grass.

Winterizing the Garden

After the garden has done its job and provided color and beauty during the long hot summer months, the fall is the perfect time to reward it with some TLC.

Dig up bulbs for flowers such as dahlias and gladiolas after the first frost. Store them packed in peat or a similar material in a cool dry place where they are out of the reach of hungry rodents for the winter.
Divide perennials. This can also be done in the spring, but some plants such as hostas and peonies seem to thrive better when divided in the fall.
Rake out flower beds and apply a layer of mulch, so that the beds are clean and full of healthy nutrients come springtime.
Remove and safely all ornaments that can crack or break in the cold.
Clean and oil all gardening tools before storing for the winter so that they do not become rusted.

Fall might mean that winter is on its way, but that does not mean that the growing season has to be over. A properly winterized home that is no drafts around the windows is the ideal place to continue growing indoor plants as well as a variety of delicious and healthy herbs.

The copyright of the article Getting Homes and Gardens Ready for Winter in Home Management is owned by Laurie Pizans. Permission to republish Getting Homes and Gardens Ready for Winter in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Winterizing Your Home Makes it More Efficient