The leaves are turning golden. It's time to prep the yard for winter. My brothers and I used to sing crazy songs together as we worked in the yard. I'm not sure my parents appreciated our singing, but it just shows that you can turn working in the yard into a fun family activity. Just bring your iPod with speakers outdoors and crank up the music. Give your kids some garden gloves to prevent blisters as well as kid-sized rakes. You can turn raking into a game. My daughter likes to make it a contest and see who can make the biggest pile of leaves. Of course jumping into the pile is the best part.
Don't worry about raking up every last leaf on the yard. Leave a few leaves on the lawn and mulch them when you mow. When you add a winterizing fertilizer this will help the mulched leaves break down and they both will provide nutrients for your lawn. You can fertilize your lawn with a winterizing fertilizer such as "Scotts Winterizer Fall Lawn Fertilizer." Winterizers strengthen the roots and help the grass to store more energy. A good fall fertilizer should provide the nitrogen and potassium your lawn nees during fall and winter.
The view from my backyard in the fall and a couple of frisky bucks.
