How to Winterize a Garden — 5 Important Tasks You Should Not Skip
Protect your garden with these tips to prepare you for the upcoming cold freeze, according to professionals

Faiza Saqib
With the seasons changing and the winter freeze slowly approaching, it's important for green-thumbed and even beginner gardeners to protect and prepare their backyards for the upcoming frost — and so begins the process of winterizing a garden.
Much like overwintering your much-loved plants, winterizing your garden will allow you to protect and build up your garden's soil. It's an important part of preparing your shrubs, vegetables, and even flowers for a drop in temperature.
It's time to lay down some mulch and prepare your yard for the cold days. Here are five tasks to undertake to winterize a garden.
1. Clear out pipes, drains, and gutters
It's time to clean up your backyard, and the first step is to tackle the nitty-gritty gardening jobs.
"The first and most important thing to winterize in any garden is the outdoor faucets and sprinkler systems, so as to avoid any pipes freezing and bursting over winter," explains landscape design expert Amber Freda. According to Jordan Clough of Richardson & Associates Landscape Architecture, water is the number one cause of issues in the winter. "Remember to blow out irrigation systems and winterize pools, but you may also have to winterize any water lines to outdoor kitchens, or remote hose bibs," he says.
Pipes are not the only thing to worry about. As Amber goes on to explain, you'll also want to make sure any gutters and drains are cleared of debris. "This is so they continue to work properly over winter and don’t overflow," she says. Setting time aside for this home exterior trick is an easy way to save money on costly damage further down the line.
2. Mulch your plants
In areas where temperatures get quite low, the roots of your plants risk freezing which will stop the plants from blooming come spring. For this reason, many plants need an extra layer of protection through winter if you want your modern garden to flourish next year. If you're wondering how to mulch a garden, it's a whole lot easier than you might think.
"Add a nice thick layer of mulch to all perennial and shrub beds," says Jordan. "For many perennials, this is very important to keeping constant moisture around the roots and mitigating the temperature swings and extremes of the winter months while they are dormant — think of it as tucking them in for a winter's rest. This will certainly result in better, fuller, spring growth."
3. Prune and deadhead
It might be worth taking your pruning tools out and deadheading your plants this time of year. This is to ensure they don’t spread any diseases and to make them look tidier in the coming months. We're quite the fan of these Corona BP 3180D Forged Classic Bypass Pruners from Amazon. "Go ahead and prune back any dead flower blooms or overgrown plants so everything looks tidy in preparation for winter," advises Amber.
"Winter is a time when plant diseases can spread and further infect weak specimens made weaker during the winter months," Jordan adds. "Keep an eye out for any changes in the look of the plant's leaves, and see if you notice any infestation, making sure you remove it immediately." While he agrees it’s important to trim back any diseased plants, he urges you to check which plant you're cutting. Not all plants will benefit from a trim this time of year, especially if they've already entered their period of dormancy, so always double-check beforehand.
4. Fertilize (or don't...)
When it comes to fertilizing a garden and its soil, opinions are divided on this one. Amber advises you to stop fertilizing your plants to allow them to harden off before winter.
On the other hand, Jordan suggests applying a slow-release fertilizer to lawns and flower beds. "This will work its way into the soil over the winter months and be available for when your plants wake up in the spring," he explains. We'll leave it to you to decide whether your plants need a boost.
Looking to fertilize your soil? Try Jack's Classic 20-20-20 All Purpose Fertilizer from Walmart, priced at jst $19.89.
5. Protect the pollinators
We all want to do our part for the planet, and if you want to protect beneficial garden insects, you can offer them a place to hibernate over winter.
"They most frequently do this in piles of fallen leaves and in the remains of dormant plants," says Jordan. "If you have an area where you don't mind allowing leaves to stay over the winter, and you can leave some of the dry stalks of your perennials standing until spring, the native pollinators will greatly appreciate it!" After all, wildlife gardening isn't only about attracting pollinators in spring and summer.
Overwintering Vs Winterizing
Although both processes are quite similar and strive to protect your garden and plants from the cold, there is a slight difference between the two.
Tony O'Neill, a gardening expert from Simplify Gardening says winterizing is the process of getting your garden ready for winter, "which may involve tasks like mulching, covering plants, or adjusting your watering schedule."
And as for overwintering, the expert says this refers to maintaining plants during the winter, "whether indoors or outside, to ensure their survival and good health come spring."
Be The First To Know
The Livingetc newsletters are your inside source for what’s shaping interiors now - and what’s next. Discover trend forecasts, smart style ideas, and curated shopping inspiration that brings design to life. Subscribe today and stay ahead of the curve.
Raluca formerly worked at Livingetc.com and is now a contributor with a passion for all things interior and living beautifully. Coming from a background writing and styling shoots for fashion magazines such as Marie Claire Raluca’s love for design started at a very young age when her family’s favourite weekend activity was moving the furniture around the house ‘for fun’. Always happiest in creative environments in her spare time she loves designing mindful spaces and doing colour consultations. She finds the best inspiration in art, nature, and the way we live, and thinks that a home should serve our mental and emotional wellbeing as well as our lifestyle.
- Faiza SaqibRenovation Editor
-
My 10 Favorite Designs at Milan Design Week 2025 — Out of the Hundreds of Pieces I Saw
There is a new elegance, color, and shape being shown in Milan this week, and these are the pieces that caught my eye
By Pip Rich
-
Iridescence Is Chrome’s More Playful, Hard-to-Define Cousin — And You're About to See It Everywhere
This kinetic finish signals a broader shift toward surfaces that move, shimmer, and surprise. Here's where to find it now
By Julia Demer
-
Biophilic Decluttering — What to Take Out of Your Home (and What to Put in) for a More Natural Home
Try your hand at biophilic decluttering to ground your interiors, connect to the environment, and cure chronic clutter in one go. Here's how.
By Amiya Baratan
-
The 10 Different Types of Kitchen Taps — And the Pros and Cons of Each One to Know Before You Pick
From sleek pull-outs to vintage bridge taps, explore 10 kitchen tap styles that mix function, flair, and a splash of cool
By Linda Clayton
-
How Much Does an Extension Cost in 2025? Renovation and Design Experts Break Down Your Budget
Explore how much different types of extensions cost in 2025 to budget for your project accurately
By Amy Reeves
-
9 Bathroom Storage Mistakes You're Probably Making That Make Using This Space Much Harder — And What to Do Instead
Discover which mistakes are to blame for your overcrowded and cluttered bathroom
By Seraphina Kyprios
-
These 'Scenting Droplets' Might Be the Coolest (and Most Stylish) Way to Make Your Home Smell Amazing
If you're looking to switch out your incense sticks for something more fun, then you should know about Ripple+'s incense droplets. Let me introduce you.
By Amiya Baratan
-
The Japanese Principle of Iki (粋) Is All About 'Refined Elegance' — Here's How to Embrace It in Your Home
If your interior vibe is all about refined elegance and opulent minimalism, you need to know about the Japanese principle of 'Iki'. Here's how to bring it home.
By Amiya Baratan
-
What Can I Choose Instead of Brass Taps? 4 Finishes That Are Emerging in 2025's Kitchens and Bathrooms
If you want to try something a little different for your kitchen or bathroom finishes, these are the trending styles in taps beyond classic brass
By Seraphina Kyprios
-
Kris Jenner’s 'All-Green' Glass Fridge Is My Organization Inspo of the Week — Here Are 5 Smart Storage Takeaways I'll Be Adopting
If you're looking for fridgescaping inspiration, you might not think to look to Kris. But her all-green fridge says otherwise. Here are five tips we've learnt.
By Amiya Baratan