Prepare your landscape for winter in November, as it typically brings the season’s first frost, if not its first freeze. Putting in the effort now will help your yard survive the colder months and bounce back to life come spring.

Start by removing any debris that has accumulated in your outdoor spaces throughout the summer and fall. Getting rid of tree limbs, leaves, and cobwebs will make it easier to assess what areas need a little extra TLC before winter sets in. Next, give your hardscapes a close inspection. Fill in any cracks in the asphalt or concrete to avoid water entering and freezing, which could cause even more damage down the road.

Now it’s time to tend to your plants! Weed and clean up your beds, removing spent annuals and replacing them with cool-season color. Give everything a thorough watering twice a week, even your evergreen shrubs and trees, unless your area is experiencing a particularly rainy period. You’ll also want to prepare your trees for the weight of snow by pruning dead or broken branches, and bracing or cabling particularly fragile plants.

Aerate and fertilize your lawn prior to the first frost, but wait until after the first freeze to add a layer of “winter mulch” to your plants. This mixture of soil and compost should be spread in a 2- to 3-inch coat around the base of plants to help insulate them against increasingly colder temperatures.