The air is getting crisp, the leaves are putting on their final, glorious show, and the siren song of the cozy couch is getting louder every day. It’s incredibly tempting to look at your beautiful summer garden, give it a little wave, and say “see you in the spring!” But a little bit of tough love now will save you from a world of horticultural heartbreak later.
Winter is coming, and it can be a real jerk to the unprepared. Think of this as your official checklist for tucking your entire yard into a cozy bed for its long winter nap. A little prep work now is the secret to ensuring it all wakes up happy, healthy, and ready to thrive come springtime.
#1 Protect Your Most Delicate Plant Babies From The First Surprise Frost By Creating A Cozy Little Biodome For Them With These Garden Cloche Clear Bell Covers
Review: “The birds eat all of the seeds, and the squirrels dig up every plant I have in my carton. So when I want to plant something new from seed, I don’t normally have very much luck. However, with the addition of these garden closures, things are vastly different, my sunflower seeds have sprouted beautifully, being untouched by any creatures. The best part about these is the vent on the top. You can swivel it open when you are watering, and to give the seedling fresh air. Otherwise, swivel it shut! And your seedling has its very own miniature greenhouse. What a fabulous purchase!” – Joseph Stanek
Buy Now: amazon.com
#2 Make The Soul-Crushing Job Of Bagging Up That Mountain Of Leaves Ten Times Faster By Transforming Your Hands Into Giant Claws With These Leaf Scoops
Review: “These are great!! So much easier to pick up piles of raked leaves than using the rake and your hand!! They are sturdy and easy to use! Love ’em!!” – Sandwin
Buy Now: amazon.com
#3 Your Grill Worked Hard All Summer, So Give It The Dignified Winter Retirement It Deserves With This BBQ Grill Cover
Review: “Just got this. Very nice! Heavy duty. Plenty big! Covers the grill, the side table and the side with the controls and goes down to the ground. I think I’m gonna like this!” – AK_in_OR
Buy Now: amazon.com
#4 The Great Annual Migration Of Your Plant Children From The Patio To The Living Room Will Be A Lot More Organized With This Indoor Plant Stand
Review: “Easy to assemble. Holds about 9 standing plants. It’s light weight and sturdy, so far so good. I have it for about 4 months. No complaints, fits exactly where I wanted to be, I made sure to measure the area before purchasing. No errosion thus far.” – Walt
Buy Now: amazon.com
#5 Keep Your Patio Pillows From Becoming A Sad, Soggy Science Experiment By Tucking Them Away For The Winter In An Outdoor Storage Box
Review: “Purchased this storage container to store, pool chemicals and accessories and I was not disappointed. It was very easy to put together most of the pieces snap in place relatively easily. The lid closes perfectly and it’s not heavy to move around to get in place. The build quality and the color were excellent. You can’t get much better for 35 bucks.” – Madalyn
Buy Now: amazon.com
See? It’s not about a complete backyard overhaul. It’s about a series of small, smart tasks that act as an insurance policy against the bleakest months of the year. Every single one of these chores is a gift you’re giving to your future, spring-fever-addled self. Imagine stepping out into the first warm day of the year to a yard that’s already halfway to gorgeous, all because you put in a little effort now. Let’s keep that momentum going.
#6 Give Your Trees And Shrubs A Much-Needed Pre-Hibernation Trim To Encourage Healthy Spring Growth, Reaching All The Awkward High Spots From The Ground With These Telescopic Hedge Sheers
Review: “I got these telescoping trimmers for keeping my shrubs and trees pruned, and I am very pleased with how well they look and work. They have a comfortable grip, are sturdy, and cut cleanly and easily through branches. It is very easy to adjust the trimmers from 23” to 30” according to your need and preference. Excellent quality, affordably priced, and they seem durable — would recommend.” – Amazon Reviewer
Buy Now: amazon.com
#7 Give Your Sad, Tired Lawn One Last Big Meal Before Its Long Winter Nap So It Comes Back Looking Like A Champion In The Spring With Scotts Turf Builder Winterguard
Review: “This product has been a game changer for lawn Winter treatment makes a world of difference.” – Mustang 1
Buy Now: amazon.com
#8 Ensure Your Garden Hose Doesn’t Spend The Winter Evolving Into A Sad, Cracked Sprinkler By Safely Tucking It Away In A Garden Hose Storage Box
Review: “Fits my 100 ft hose well. Rolls up nicely. Product container is a good quality. Whenever I use the hose , I just use the handle and roll it up. So much better than trying to wrap a hose around a hose stand.” – Trish S.
Buy Now: amazon.com
#9 Completely Refuse To Accept That The Growing Season Is Over By Moving The Whole Operation Into An Outdoor Greenhouse
Review: “I love love love my new greenhouse! I have been getting wild animals lately in my yard, knocking over my pots and breaking them. This greenhouse is prefect for my plants because it is small enough to fit in my backyard, but big enough and have lots of shelves. One thing to note is there wasn’t instructions that came with my package, so I had to piece it together by looking at the stock photo on Amazon. It wasn’t too hard to put together though. For the price, this was a very good idea purchase. The materials are pretty light, so I put a bunch of heavy big pots on the bottom to weigh the structure down. I might get some bricks too. It has been windy where I am and I certainly dont want my new greenhouse to fly away.” – S. Lee
Buy Now: amazon.com
#10 Tuck Your Entire Rows Of Winter Vegetables Into A Cozy Little Hibernation Station To Shield Them From The Harshest Weather With These Winter Garden Rows Plant Covers
Review: “So I’m using this to house a couple of cabbage seedlings in each popup plant cover. These covers are not very large but I’m hoping they’ll be big enough for cabbages. There’s a zippered opening on one side so you can ventilate during a hot day. They pop up easily in seconds. Great for use when you get the frost warning at night. The little tent stakes (one per side) will not actually prevent the popup from blowing away – they’re not going to get enough purchase in the soil. The fabric is very lightweight but it’s enough to shield from frost. There’s a separate zippered bag to store them in. With care, these should last several seasons.” – Pennsylvania Peony
Buy Now: amazon.com
Protecting your plants and tools from the ravages of winter is about more than just aesthetics; it’s about protecting your investment. You spent all spring and summer watering, weeding, and nurturing your green space, so don’t let a surprise frost or a heavy snowfall undo all that hard work. Think of this as the final, most important stage of the gardening season: the part where you play bodyguard for your beloved plants. Ready to tackle the next phase of Operation Hibernation?
#11 Give Your Future, Winter-Weary Self A Delightful Surprise By Getting These Daffodil Bulbs In The Ground Before The First Big Freeze
Review: “These bulbs bloomed beautiful yellow with orange center flowers. They are so cute bouncing around in my planter bed with the breeze. All 50 have come up and so far 48 blooms. These blooms have lasted 5 weeks. Super happy with this purchase.” – kenneth gentry
Buy Now: amazon.com
#12 Prevent The Very Expensive And Very Wet Disaster Of A Burst Pipe By Putting A Cozy Little Winter Hat On Your Outdoor Spigots With These Outdoor Faucet Covers
Review: “This 2-pack of faucet covers features thick, multi-layer insulation that effectively seals off the spigot and pipe from freezing air. Their generous size fits easily over standard and larger hose bibs. Installation is simple: an adjustable drawstring and hook-and-loop strap cinch the cover tightly against the wall, creating a secure, draft-free seal. I’m very pleased with the quality and ease of use.” – Deb
Buy Now: amazon.com
#13 Blast All The Gross, Decomposing Leaf Gunk Out Of Your Gutters From The Safety Of The Ground By Using A Powerful Cordless Telescopic Leaf Blower
Review: “Brought this leaf blower to clear my gutters. Just installed new gutters with gutter guards, and this leaf blower did the job. Blew off leafs, acorns, right off. Easy to use, and not too top heavy. Also, can be use as a regular leaf blower. Quality product, 2 batteries, and charging cord.” – Richard Donis
Buy Now: amazon.com
#14 Prevent Your Beloved Shrubs From Getting A Nasty Case Of Frostbite On A Surprisingly Cold Night By Tucking Them In With Some Frost Blankets For Outdoor Plants
Review: “These plant covers are so much easier than putting sheets over the plants and fidgeting with clips to hold them on. The zipper moves freely and the pull cord can be released on one side to make putting the cover on taller, or stout trees, a breeze. The material is light, and I was able to cover our tree without any assistance. We have only had a few nights of freezing temperatures and the cover worked well. The fabric is holding up nicely. I will update if or when we get some colder weather.” – Kelly M.
Buy Now: amazon.com
#15 Stop The Annual Spring Scavenger Hunt For That One Trowel You Actually Like By Finally Gathering All Your Equipment Into A Proper Garden Tool Organiser
Review: “This organizer is amazing. Upon delivery, the package was so small, I was sure I had the wrong order. I opened the package, easily assembled the organizer, started to feed it. What a surprise, I have room for more tools. This organizer is well worth the investment.” – Darryl E. Cloud
Buy Now: amazon.com
#16 Create A Warm, Insulating Blanket For Your Garden Beds To Protect Perennial Roots From The Harsh Winter Freeze By Laying Down A Layer Of Coco Liner
Review: “Very well made and thicker than I expected. Just perfect for making liners for my cone baskets that are odd size.” – Jerri L. Rodgers
Buy Now: amazon.com
#17 Wrap Your More Delicate Trees And Shrubs Like A Rustic Holiday Gift To Shield Them From Harsh Winds And Heavy Snow With These Natural Burlap Plant Covers
Review: “Perfect for hydrangeas. At least so far. Two overnight freezes. Plants still smilin’.” – Terry Evans
Buy Now: amazon.com
