My yard is absolutely covered in leaves and that's always one of the biggest indicators that I need to start seriously thinking about getting it ready for winter. The winter months bring their own set of challenges from thinning grass to damaged roots, so being prepared and protecting your shrubs and lawn will ultimately save you a lot of time, money and hard work.

Over the past few years, I've streamlined the steps I take in order to fit in my winter garden prep before it gets too cold and before the frost starts to wreak havoc on my plants. Here's the 5-step checklist I swear by each year to get my yard winter ready.

As mentioned, the fallen leaves are the first problem I know I need to tackle. They can quickly damage the glass, blocking sunlight and reducing air circulation. Once I've raked up the leaves with my favorite 'tarp burrito' method, I need to focus on removing any more debris and clutter.

Over the summer months, my yard has been lovingly used, but that means there are tools, toys and leftover gardening items lying around. For winter, it's important to clear up and pack away everything that doesn't belong. Not only because leaving them out will damage your yard, but it'll ruin the items too.

It's hard to pick plants for your yard that last all-year round and some in particular are sensitive to the winter weather, especially those which are tropical/exotic. After you identify which plants these are, it's a great idea to wrap them up to protect them.

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