Photo by Matthieu Joannon on Unsplash
When fall rolls around so does the frost, then, inevitably, the snow. From then, your lawn is gone, covered beneath a cold, white blanket. At that point, gone is your ability to mow, tend a garden, prune trees. All you’ve got is a desolate landscape and barren trees hibernating for the winter. Even so, that snowy landscape can still be beautiful. For all those people restless to get out and care for their lawn like they did all summer, here are some things you can do in the winter!
Simply Shovel
Shovelling your driveway and any stone pathways is basically winter’s version of mowing. In the summer you may strive to have the greenest, most meticulously mowed lawn on the street. The winter’s equivalent to that is having the most meticulously shovelled driveway on the street. Seeing that rectangle of dark asphalt amid the white landscape around it is startling and impressive.
Avoiding shovelling just makes it harder, just like letting your lawn grow super long makes mowing harder.
“In areas where snow is no stranger, it's ill-advised to allow even the most meager snowfall to go unshoveled in your driveway, lest it later melt and refreeze. The resulting sheet of ice becomes a slipping hazard. While you can apply ice-melt products to it after the fact, why waste the money?” - The Spruce
But Don’t Over Shovel
Shovelling your driveway and any pre-existing pathways is certainly a good idea, but be careful not to make pathways through your lawn for people or pets that were not there before. Shovelling where there is grass underneath can ruin your lawn for spring as well as making your winter landscape look messy.
“Removing blankets of snow exposes your lawn to freezing elements it’s not designed to deal with. Not to mention the act of shovelling itself will tear up your lawn. All that extra foot (and paw) traffic also adds to the damage, and can actually make it worse since the wear and tear is focused on a very small area.” - Lawn Pride
Not to mention the grass and dirt that will inevitably get torn up will get all over the white blanket of snow covering your lawn. White snow makes that dirt look ten times more noticeable.
Avoid Walking on Snow Covered Grass
Walking on snow-covered grass ruins the beautiful, smooth white blanket atop your lawn, but that’s not a big deal. That will just be solved during the next snowfall. The real problem with this is what it does to the grass underneath.
“Foot traffic damages frozen grass, making it vulnerable to pests and diseases. To avoid damage, take a photo of your garden before the first snowfall to help you memorize the location of all of your hibernating greens, then avoid treading on those areas. If you can't avoid walking across the lawn, lay paver stones or a soft path of mulch or pea gravel to direct foot traffic.” - Home Depot
Adding Colour
The snow of winter provides you with a blank canvas. Any colours will really pop against it, but how do you get colourful things on or around a winter lawn? There are many things you can do and things you can put on your lawn to do this! Some of the most notable are planting year-round plants beforehand such as spruce and winterberry, or getting a bird feeder to attract wild birds.
“The proper feeder will make your landscape an inviting oasis for birds seeking refuge. So, experiment and see what works best for you. Your efforts will be rewarded when your winter landscape is bustling and full of life!” - Dash Lawn Care
A winter lawn isn’t one that can’t be cared for and made beautiful. Try some of these things out, or just have fun with it. Like we said before, that coat of snow is a blank canvas!
Need help with any of this or anything else for your lawn? Contact us today for a FREE quote! We’ll come in, clean up your lawn/gardens, and leave—while you sit back, relax, and do something you enjoy!