Here Is How To Keep Our Backyard Safe During Winter

1. Buy salt in advance

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When it comes to winter time and the snow starts falling, the demand for salt rises, and you can find yourself not being able to get hold of any. The best thing to do is get a couple of bags and keep them stored for when the time comes because it's most likely that the frost will arrive at some point.

2. When the snow comes, shovel it promptly

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When the snow comes, the last thing you probably want to do is to get outside in the freezing cold and shovel it away from your paths. But it's the best way to keep your backyard safe because when snow piles on top of old snow, this is when it can get icy and dangerous!

3. Keep your walkways well-lit

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A well-lit backyard is even more important during the winter in order to keep it safe because the weather of winter means that everything gets more slippy and nights get darker. Without lights, you cannot properly see where you are going and lights are necessary to avoid any accidents!

4. Pressure wash your stonework/ patio areas before the cold weather

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You may be wondering why you need shining new patio floors for winter. But it's not to do with aesthetics. It's about safety, and when you don't clean your patio or pathways the moss/ plants and dirt that have accumulated can turn into a slippery mess as soon as the wintery rain starts!

5. Trim any overhanging branches in advance

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Keep your backyard safe by trimming any overhanging branches because these branches will catch the snow. And when the snow starts to accumulate the branches start to droop and get very heavy. If these then fall or the snow falls from the branches it will land right onto your house roof which could cause breakages or leaks!

6. Install hand railing for steps

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Hand railings are a must in winter. The cold nights come and nobody's backyard is perfectly flat or immune to the slippery autumn leaves or frosty winter weather, so what you need is a handrail to hold in case of all these things. Losing your footing or balance is super easy but a handrail would allow you to steady yourself.

7. Add compost to the top of your soil

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It's not all about the pathways, what about the garden and the soil itself? Adding compost to soil helps protect it during the harsher months because it is full of minerals and vitamins. And, the decomposing elements of the sol will actually help the soil to stay warmer in the winter too.

8. Place a floating plastic ball or object in your ponds

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If you have ponds, it is safer to keep the water from freezing. Ice can be dangerous, especially if somebody falls in. So keep a floating ball or object in the ice as it will prevent the surface from freezing due to it constantly moving around. This way the water in your backyard cannot freeze!

9. Have a huge yard clean-up before the winter hits

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Before the winter comes, have a huge cleanout and clean up of your backyard. Scrape off all the autumn leaves, scrape the muck and dirt that have been tread around the garden during summertime. Clean up everything that in the winter will start to rot or mush together in an unpleasant mess.

10. Use non-slip matts

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Non-slip mats are much safer to walk on than patio flags or stones because the groovers and rubber mean that your fit sticks to them rather than slipping. The grooves allow you to find your way without sliding, whereas stone can be deceptively smooth and slippery.

11. Regularly remove leaves from drains

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During autumn, clearing the leaves feels like a continuous and impossible task. But clearing your drains is super important in helping keep your backyard safe. Leaves will block the drains and start to rot, and when the water cannot drain it could cause your backyard to get waterlogged.

12. Store away garden furniture

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Garden furniture probably isn't necessary for the winter months - depending on where you live. But if you don't envisage yourself sitting out in the frosty air, then store them away. It will prevent frost damage which can be dangerous when you use them the summer after, because they may have weakened.

13. Cover any delicate plants or flowers

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Delicate plants or flowers are going to find it very difficult to survive a harsh winter without your help. You can actually wrap them up with air holes to protect them from the harsh air. Or, move them around your garden to find an area that is more sheltered from the cold.

14. Install gutter dams

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When gutters get filled with snow, it becomes a problem when it leaks as it can cause mild flooding to an area. So to prevent this from happening you could install gutter dams which will stop too much snow, or even leaves, from getting into the gutter and blocking it or flooding it.

15. Put grit/salt on your backyard before the frost is expected

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So, you've already got your salt ready. Now, all you need to do is stay aware of the frosts. If you know that snow is due soon, then put your salt down ready! Don't wait until you've got a yard full of ice and snow to lay down your salt because this is dangerous underfoot!

16. Insulate outdoor pipes and hoses

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Have you ever noticed that it's always during the winter time when your house starts to get problems that cost hundreds of dollars? It has to do with the cold weather. Protect your pipes outside of your house to prevent problems. Freezing and thawing make materials crack, so insulate your pipes!

17. Keep trees, and plant evergreens around the garden

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Some people move into a house and immediately want to chop the trees down. Why? Who knows. Because not only does it look less natural and pretty, but it will also mean that you could face more problems in your backyard during winter when you have no shielding or protection!

18. Make sure you have motion lighting

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Nobody wants to pay for lights to be constantly on, that would be expensive. But motion lighting means that when you need it, it's there. As soon as you begin to walk up your garden path it will light the way so that even on the darkest of nights, you can see where you are treading.

19. Check your roof before the extreme weather hits

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Roofs can start failing around wintertime; the leaks start, the cracks start and it doesn't look so stable anymore! Check your roof before the winter, and then if there are any faults or cracks they won't be made much, much worse by the snow, frost, and rain. Fix them before they turn into huge, expensive problems.

20. Put potted plants inside a plastic pot for winter

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You may have frost-proof flower pots, in this case, you should be fine. If you don't know what material your flower posts are then they may not bode well with being frozen and thawed out. So place them inside a plastic pot as plastic will offer some insulation and keep the base material more protected.

21. Apply a heavy tarp to your flower beds

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Some people who love their garden and want to ensure that it doesn't die over the winter, place a big tarpaulin over their flower beds or even their grass. This prevents it from getting super cold. Frost can kill plants completely so this helps to shield them from too much harm.

22. Check your garden furniture is frostproof

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If you know that you live in an area where the frost hits during winter, make sure you only purchase frostproof garden furniture. If you don't know, then either store it away or if you don't have space, cover it with plastic sheets to keep some insulation and shield it from the weather.

23. Grow a green canopy for protection

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Growing a green canopy means growing hedges and bushes into a canopy that forms a kind of roof. These work super well in shielding lower-down plants from harm during the extreme season change. It will help shelter your garden from rain, and it will also prevent the cold from entering slightly.

24. Don't walk over the garden during the frost

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You may think that walking over the garden in the frost makes no difference, if anything it is protected by a layer of ice. But the garden freezes and so when you walk over it things snap and break when they would normally bend. So you are adding extra damage to your own garden!

25. Move any garden objects/ potted plants to the porch area

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If you can, move your potted plants to the porch area of your house. Your porch will be more protected than your yard which has no roof. So, to keep your greens flourishing over the winter, or at least surviving until the spring, give them a little bit of protection during winter.

26. Protect any outdoor electrical outputs

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Electrical outputs are super useful, but only when they are protected and safe. If they are exposed or not protected well enough, it could cause some kind of electrical shock or explosion if they become wet due to heavy rain or due to melting ice and frosts.

27. Have hedges to protect each angle of the backyard

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Hedges are a great way to keep your backyard safe during winter because they act as some protection from the wind and rain. They are a kind of buffer, which protects your yard and means that it's not as exposed as it would be without the hedges which can help your garden and plants survive.

28. Do not spray water on the garden during the frost

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A HUGE no-no in the winter in your backyard is spraying water for whatever reason, in your garden when the temperature is very cold. This water could freeze and then essentially you are creating an ice rink in the garden which is inevitably very dangerous.

29. Put up a big umbrella

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An umbrella can be useful in protecting your garden from too much rain. However, when the weather gets more severe an umbrella cannot last against the wind and the snow. In this case, it's safer to put the umbrella away. Umbrellas can help protect your backyard but when the climate is milder.

30. Seal any cracks in the backyard

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Cracks in the backyard only become worse over the winter months because extreme temperature changes exacerbate them. So when the ground freezes, and then thaws again it will probably make the cracks worse, and cracks lead to unsteady and unsafe flooring that you can trip over.