Now that fall is officially here, it is time to do some necessary yard clean-up before winter comes.  Cleaning up your yard or patio now will have to make your spring clean-up easy and give you a great start on enjoying your summer garden and patio.  To make things easier for you, here are some simple tips:

1.  Use a garden cart to help make your clean-up go much easier and quicker.  With the use of a garden cart like the Roughneck Lawn Cart, you can pile in leaves, sticks, grass clippings, and more.  In addition to these uses, you will find a garden cart very handy and convenient for a number of uses all throughout the year.

2.  For leaf clean-up use a variety of leaf rakes and brushes to help speed up the cleaning.  A large leaf rake is ideal for scooping up a large number of leaves at one time.  A smaller leaf rake is great for getting into tight spaces and removing leaves from scrubs and plantings.  For your patio or deck area, use a broom to quickly remove leaves.

3.  Remove your dead annuals and plantings.  If you have any dead annuals or plantings, now is a great time to remove them to keep your garden’s appearance looking neat and healthy.  A great tool to use is the Garden Rocker Stool by Vertex.  This rocking stool makes pulling out dead plants, weeds, and other planting much easier on you and your back

4.  Cover up your roses.  When the weather turns colder, your roses will need protection from cold temperatures and snow to survive through the winter.  Use mulch to cover up the root ball or a pail, such as the Duraflex Rubber Pail, to cover up the entire rose plant.

5.  Store or cover your patio furniture.  A furniture cover is an easy way to protect your furniture during the winter and keep it looking good for the upcoming spring and summer.  The Patio Table & Chairs Cover by Vertex International makes covering your furniture easy and quick.  This cover is very durable and made of material that resists mildew and cracking.

These simple steps taken now will make your yard and patio clean-up much easier in the spring.  For a great variety of yard clean-up items, check out Backyard Style.