Many garden enthusiasts tune out during the winter, but there’s plenty you can do even during the colder months for a better, brighter garden next spring. From tilling your topsoil to laying fresh mulch, the landscaping experts at Syracusa Sand & Gravel are here with their top five winter gardening tasks you should be checking off of your list:

• Prep Tools: When it comes to a perfect garden, time is of the essence. Replace those rusty trowels and tune up your power tools so that they’re ready to go in time for spring.
• Mulch & Till: Laying mulch in the early winter will help keep the soil warmer. This protects bulbs and roots from death by frost. In warmer regions, you should also till your topsoil. If you live in a colder region, you may have to dig up bulbs and keep them safe in a cool, dark place until the coldest months are over.
• Beautify: There’s lots of landscaping you can do during winter that will make your garden more attractive. Lay washed stone or a gravel aggregate, and create a tranquil pathway that winds through your plants. Set up sculptures. Buy some bags of sand and stones to add a Zen garden to your yard. In some regions, certain vegetables can even grow throughout the winter. The possibilities are only limited by your creativity.
• Cover Up: Cover perennials, shrubs, and trees with a cloth such as burlap. Some use plastic instead, but if your cover traps moisture, your plants could be killed.
• Attack Weeds: Get a jump on weeds that sprout early, and you’ll have less work to do later. Taking care of weeds as soon as they appear also helps prevent them from spreading.

Need more advice? Contact Syracusa Sand & Gravel. From topsoil and sand delivery to gravel driveways, they’ve supplied the Victor, NY, region with design and materials for stunning landscapes for almost 70 years. Call (585) 310-2693 to see what you need for your project or check them out on the Better Business Bureau website to learn more about their A+ rating.