Fall is my favorite time of year. As the air becomes crisp and the leaves turn vibrant shades of yellow and orange, it seems like everything is just a little more alive and beautiful. It’s also a bittersweet time as summer morphs into winter, the rain and snow just around the corner, and we savor the final remnants of summer heat and sunshine.

It’s also a time of year to prepare for colder weather so here are a few items for your maintenance list:

Gutters

November is the best time of year to clean your gutters, as the majority of leaves have fallen off the trees, and the worst of the rain hasn’t hit yet. There are attachments available for pressure washers and leaf blowers that will make this task easier, or consider hiring a service for this. It’s surprisingly affordable.

Double check that all downspouts are free of clogs and properly connected to your drainage system or to a splash pad.

Decks

Now is the time to cover or store patio furniture. Where we live, high winds blast our deck in winter months, so we store our outdoor furniture in our crawlspace to protect it from damage.

Pools

If you have an outdoor pool, it’s time to prepare it for winter and freezing weather. Kits are available at local pool supply stores to help you with this. Installing a winter cover will minimize the work of preparing it for use in the spring.

Landscaping

This is the best time of year to give all your flower beds, trees and shrubs a final weed and prune (check garden centers and resources for plant specific advise). Doing this now will minimize winter damage and have you off to a great start next spring. If you have sensitive species, consider wrapping them or erecting a wind block for the winter months.

If you have an irrigation system, ensure all the lines are blown dry to minimize damage from frost. Often your irrigation contractor will provide this service.

Garden Equipment

Once all this work is done, its time to service all your equipment. Use fuel stabilizer in all gasoline engines to ensure they start in the spring. Take this time to sharpen blades, protect surfaces with a light coat of oil, and store them securely. Pressure washers need to have all water drained out to protect them from freezing. It’s also a great tine to ensure your snow blower, snowplow, and generator or working well.