As we progress through fall, and little by little clear our yards of leaves and debris, there's still some things to consider in the landscape before we hang up our rakes and roll up our hoses...

1. Protect evergreen shrubs before winter by applying an anti dessicant spray. This helps to prevent "winter burn" on broadleaved shrubs. We often see signs of this come spring when large areas of evergreen plants turn brown.
2. Protect your valuable plants from deer feeding. A monthly spray of deer proofing from now through spring will keep deer from turning your landscape into a free lunch.
3. Tie up ornamental trees and shrubs that are susceptible to breakage from heavy snow and ice. Focus on plant material that may be located under roof lines that may shed heavy snow.
4. Feed your lawn with a high potassium fertlizer. Potassium is essential for building strong cell structure and aids in overwintering.
5. Clean your gutters! Keeping leaves out of your gutters before the snow flies will help to prevent ice dams.
6. Secure your snowplowing contract or be sure your snowblower is running well. We got off easy last winter. Be prepared for a snowy return this winter.
7. Buy your snowshovel early. They go quickly when the first snow of the season is foirecasted.
8. Winterize your irrigation system. Having the water blown out of your irrigation system will prevent freeze damage that can be costly come spring.
9. Get your firewood delivered, and cover it to keep it dry. Winter power outages can and will happen. A warm fire will take the chill off.
10. Keep a spare cylinder of propane on hand. Many of us don't grill as much in the winter, but if we lose power, a gas grill will come in handy.