Brendan Wetzel, the president and owner of Yardley Landscaping and Paving Company in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, offers different landscaping services to clients. Brendan Wetzel and his team provide water drainage services, such as installing lawn drainage systems as well as seasonal clean-up services to keep landscapes looking nice throughout the year.

To maintain the appearance and overall health of the lawn, you must conduct seasonal cleanup and proper maintenance. While many people worry about summer and spring, fall is actually one of the best seasons to prepare the lawn for winter. Below are several things that must be done as part of a fall cleanup:

1. Remove debris – During the year, trees and some other plants shed their foliage. This debris not only smothers grass and plant growth, it also provides pests a safe place to hide. Because of this, debris should regularly be removed from a landscape using a tarp or rake. It’s also possible to run the lawn mower over fallen leaves to shred them and make them suitable for fertilizer.

2. Trim away the dead – Once winter hits, dead branches and plants are much more susceptible to damage from the cold winds. This increases the risk of the branches cracking or breaking, thus posing a damage to you or your home when the plant is large enough. Rather than risk this, trim away any dead branches, or pull out plants that have died completely.

3. Protect plants – Not every plant is capable of withstanding extreme temperatures, so it’s important that these sensitive plants are protected for the cold winter temperatures. This is accomplished by either moving the plants indoors or installing a frost guard. At the same time, you can’t forget about the plants that can withstand the temperature drop by mulching them with leaves and organic waste.