By the time we're getting consistent overnight temperatures in the 30s — usually mid-October in Lake County — winter prep season is in full swing for our maintenance crew. Here's roughly what we do at every property, and a couple of things we deliberately skip.
What to do
Cut back, but selectively
The instinct is to chop everything to the ground in November. Don't. Many native perennials — coneflowers, asters, sedums, ornamental grasses — provide critical winter food and habitat for birds and overwintering insects. Leave them up until late March. Cut back only what's diseased, flopping into walkways, or genuinely unsightly.
Top-dress beds with compost
A one-inch layer of finished compost or leaf mold over your perennial beds in November feeds the soil all winter. Skip dyed bark mulch entirely — it suppresses biology and breaks down poorly in our wet springs.
Water evergreens deeply before the ground freezes
Lake-effect winds desiccate evergreen foliage. The single best thing you can do for boxwoods, hollies, yews and conifers is one slow, deep watering in mid-November. We use anti-desiccant sprays sparingly and only on exposed properties.
Protect young trees from rabbits and deer
Rabbits will girdle a young serviceberry overnight in February when food gets scarce. We wrap trunks of any tree under three years old with hardware cloth. For deer-pressured properties (most of Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, parts of Highland Park), we tag-rotate three different repellents through the winter.
Winterize irrigation properly
Don't trust a quick blow-out — cracked manifolds in February are expensive. We blow each zone three times at proper PSI and document the shut-down for the owner.
What to skip
Don't fertilize in late fall
Late nitrogen pushes tender growth that won't harden off. If your soil needs amendment, do it in spring with a soil test as your guide.
Don't pile mulch against trunks
"Mulch volcanoes" rot bark and invite voles. Pull mulch back two inches from the trunk of every tree on your property — this five-minute fix extends tree lifespan by decades.
Don't blow leaves into beds
Whole leaves smother perennials and grasses. Mulch them with the mower into the lawn (free fertilizer) or compost them separately.
The garden you walk past in February tells you whether last fall's prep was thoughtful. A garden under good winter care has structure, seed heads, and a quiet beauty. A neglected one looks bare.
If you'd rather we handle it
Our seasonal care crews handle full winter prep for clients across Mundelein, Libertyville, Lake Forest and the rest of our service area — usually starting the second week of October. Reach out if you'd like a quote.