Yuck, what muck. If you live in a colder climate, in the late winter or early spring the ground, ice and snow begin to thaw. This leads to a messy garden full of mud. How can you stop the soggy season before it begins?

1. Contain Your Garden Beds

If your garden turns into a muddy mess once the winter ends, you can contain that mess in a garden bed or two. Create wood, brick, or rock beds that hold in your garden soil. They’ll neatly define your garden space, and they’ll prevent your soil from eroding and sliding downhill when the spring thaw comes.

2. Add Plants

Plants are the key to keeping your soil intact. Their root systems create a net that not only helps soil stick together, it also soaks up the water and uses it to help the plants grow. If you have bare soil in your garden, it’s much more likely to get muddy, messy, and wash away during the soggy season. If you add perennial plants, their large, long-standing root systems will help reduce erosion in your garden. The best time of year to plant perennials is in the fall, followed by the late winter.

3. Direct the Water

To control the moisture in your garden, you need to think of ice and snow as rainwater. After all, they are just frozen water, and after a while, they will turn into water again. When they do, you need to direct that water into the right places in your garden. Add a pond or a rain garden and contour the land so that the melting snowfall runs in that direction, or direct your water toward a French drain.

4. Increase Your Organics

In the fall, you can prepare for the spring thaw by adding leaves and other mulch materials to your garden. Surprisingly, adding more organic matter not only builds more soil, it also improves soil drainage. If you have compacted or clay soil, the snow will melt and the water will sit on top of the soil rather than percolating into it. Soil with abundant organic matter will help water drain away into the soil rather than allowing it to sit on top.

5. Add a Gutter Replacement and Gutter Covers

What does the top of your house have to do with your garden? They’re completely connected, especially if you’re talking about water. Your roof needs to drain properly, or all of that water will end up in your garden, making it a soggy mess when ice and snow thaw or when the rain begins to fall. Add gutter covers to your gutters to prevent them from getting clogged and running over, or replace your gutters if they’re sagging, warping, or full of holes.

At Harry Helmet, we can help you prepare for any season of the year. From the blossoms of spring to the leaves and rain in the fall, our gutter products stand strong. If you’re looking for a gutter replacement, gutter covers, or gutter heat, contact us today.

Written by Del Thebaud