Getting Your Backyard Ready for the Winter

It's that time of year: sweaters and hot cocoa, a walk through bright orange foliage, crisp apples and pumpkin pie, falling asleep by the warm glow of the fireplace. But amidst the brisk breeze, swirling leaves, and all the beauty, there is one dreaded task: winterizing your backyard.

Getting your backyard ready for the winter in Minnesota is no easy task — especially when the weather goes from zero to 100 overnight. However, our team at Outdoor Innovations knows the best tricks to speed up the process. Keep reading to learn our favorite tips to protect your gorgeous backyard space and go back to enjoying your fall before winter comes.

Quick Tips:

• Winterize your pool and water features: Clean, drain, balance water, add chemicals, and securely cover to prevent damage.
• Prep your lawn and garden: Rake leaves, aerate soil, apply winter fertilizer, mulch plants, and protect irrigation systems.
• Protect outdoor furniture and decor: Store items indoors when possible; use winter-proof covers for furniture and cushions.
• Maintain walkways and driveways: Repair cracks, apply sealant, use ice melt or heated mats to stay safe in icy weather.
• Add outdoor heating solutions: Fire pits, fireplaces, and patio heaters extend outdoor enjoyment into colder months.
• Winterize your septic system: Insulate, prevent leaks, and follow professional guidelines to avoid freezing issues.
• Decorate early for the holidays: Install LED or Wi-Fi-enabled lights before snow falls for easy setup and year-round use.
• Plan ahead for spring projects: Work with a designer now so your new pool, patio, or landscaping project is ready to break ground next year.

Winterizing Your Pool and Water Features

With all the work that goes into designing and building your swimming pool, our team knows how important it is to protect your swimming pool investment through Minnesota’s cold and brutal winters so that you continue to use it for years to come. Winterizing is essential for keeping your pool features safe and problem-free all winter and picking up right where you left off when summer comes.

How to Winterize Your Pool in the Fall

1. Clean pool from top to bottom
2. Remove all debris
3. Balance pool water
4. Lower the water level
5. Add winterizing chemicals
6. Cover pool securely with cover

How to Winterize Water Features

1. Drain fountains or ponds (unless you have fish)
2. Clean the space
3. Remove fountains, pumps, and other equipment
4. Use a pond heater if you have fish in the water

Protecting your pool and water features now means less stress and more fun when the warm weather finally returns.

Prepping Your Garden and Lawn for Winter

Another crucial part of winterizing is ensuring your lawn and landscaping are taken care of. Without taking the appropriate steps, your lawn and plants likely won’t be thriving when spring comes. By committing to this list, you can ensure your equipment doesn’t break, foliage is doing well when it warms up, and your yard is in great shape.

Lawn Care

• Rake up fallen leaves
• Aerate lawn to promote soil drainage
• Apply a winter fertilizer to enhance root growth
• Plant cover crops to protect and enrich soil in the winter

Plant and Garden Care

• Clear away dead plants and debris from garden beds
• Trim perennials
• Add mulch around plants to insulate roots
• Wrap rose bushes with chicken wire and insulate with a mix of compost, chopped leaves, mulch, wood chips, or pine needles

Water Pipes and Hose Care

• Turn off water on irrigation systems
• Extract final drops with an air compressor (we recommend hiring someone)
• Disconnect outside hoses
• Turn off outdoor water spigots
• Store hoses in the winter to avoid breakage

A little effort now ensures your lawn, garden, and pipes bounce back strong once spring arrives.

Protecting Outdoor Furniture and Decor

Outdoor furniture and decor aren’t cheap, so it’s crucial to protect them during the brutal winter months in Minnesota. The best storage will be inside your home, garage, or covered outdoor storage. Our team at Outdoor Innovations has built some outdoor pool houses and living spaces that perfectly double for storage with the right accommodations.

For outdoor furniture, make sure everything is cleaned and stored properly (preferably inside) to extend the life of your furniture. Otherwise, consider investing in high-quality covers that are winter-proof. Remove and store cushions and fabric items to prevent mold and mildew (preferably inside). Otherwise, place them in a scented garbage bag with some dryer sheets to deter pests.

For outdoor décor, ensure that fragile items are either brought inside or securely covered. This will help protect them from freezing temperatures and potential damage from snow and ice.

Maintaining Walkways and Driveways

Since walkways and driveways are used year-round, it’s important to keep them in great shape. Here’s how to keep your pavement protected:

• Check walkways and driveways for cracks
• Repair any cracks and damage to protect against freeze-thaw cycles
• Apply sealant to protect from snow and ice
• Use ice melt, snow shovels, and/or a snow blower in the winter
• Consider heated mats on walkways to prevent ice buildup

Explore Paver Options

Preparing your walkways and driveways now helps you stay safe, avoid costly repairs, and enjoy a stress-free winter.

Outdoor Heating Solutions for Winter Comfort

One of the best ways to enjoy your outdoor space in the winter is to make use of heating solutions and fire features. By using patio heaters, fire pits, outdoor fireplaces, fire bowls, and so many other warm features, you can create a cozy atmosphere when it’s colder outside. Just make sure to maintain and store equipment properly when it’s not in use.

If you’re interested in installing an outdoor fireplace or fire features before winter, our team at Outdoor Innovations Landscaping can help you get started. We’ll help you pick the best outdoor design and build for what you have in mind.

Septic System Preparation for Winter

Always keep your septic system well-maintained. A well-maintained septic system

is better able to withstand the stresses of winter weather. If you live in an area like Minnesota that commonly experiences harsh winter weather, take these steps to protect your septic system.

• Check for and repair any leaking plumbing fixtures to prevent freezing
• Let the grass in your lawn get longer in the fall over the tank for extra insulation
• Consider wrapping your pipes with heat tape if you have high-efficiency appliances
• Land near manhole covers should slope down to push snow melt away
• Avoid compacting the soil around the system and creating less insulation
• Never allow vehicle traffic or livestock above the tanks or on the drain field
• Check with a septic system service professional before doing any landscaping
• Ensure your system complies with freezing depths for the area
• Add more insulation to new systems, a mound system, or have had freezing issues
• Install insulated pipes, add insulation to tanks or manhole covers, or place a layer of mulch (8-12 inches of hay, straw, or other loose material) over the pipes, tank, and drain field

Taking care of your septic system in the fall saves you from unpleasant surprises when the ground freezes.

Decorate For The Holidays Early

The holidays are coming, and the countdown to Christmas has begun for many. If you love putting outdoor lights on your house for the Holiday Season, consider installing the lighting before the snow starts coming down. That way, when the time is right, you can turn your lights on without having to freeze your fingers off. 

If you get LED lights that have Wi-Fi capability, you can change the lights all year long for whatever holiday or season it may be. We have many similar exterior light solutions regardless of your specific need. Contact a designer today who can help you find the perfect exterior lighting, whether it be light fixtures or lighting around your home.

As fall is now in full gear, please contact us if you have any questions or concerns regarding your exterior features and landscaping. 

Planning Ahead For Future Projects

If you are interested in getting a pool, retaining wall, water features, fire features, patio, pole barn, or any exterior project you want to accomplish. Now is the time to get started on planning for next season. Contact us to have a designer come out and help you draw up your plans. That way, throughout the winter, we can perfect your plan and be ready to break ground next year.

Outdoor Innovations Landscaping creates elevated backyards for homeowners in Minnesota. From in-ground pools to luxurious grilling stations to outdoor living rooms, we do it all. Explore our past projects and get a quote online to make your dream backyard a reality.