You should also take precautions at the end of the season to properly winterize your mower if you live in an area where cold weather is a problem. Preparing a lawn mower for winter storage is easy to do with 7 simple steps. Not only will proper winterizing save you money and frustration, winter maintenance will also reduce emissions next spring. A lawn mower in good working condition is both safer and better for your lawn.

Winterizing mowers takes several steps, including draining the gas, cleaning the mower, replacing air filters, and changing the oil. When not properly maintained, lawn mowers can not only be frustrating and costly but also damaging to the environment and unsafe. Older mowers, especially those that haven't been properly maintained, do not perform as well and may be dangerous.

Next year, always check the undercarriage and in the discharge chute and bag for critters that may have decided to use your lawn mower as a winter get-away. It'll save both you and the critters from a lot of discomfort. This book is about lawn care, but part of having a beautiful lawn is having an aesthetically pleasing look in front of your house. In the next section, we'll give you some tips on landscaping to enhance your lawn.

Because you're a homeowner, you want to take a certain pride in how other people view your home. It's your castle, your haven, and your property. You want it to look as good as it can when people pass by. A great lawn is just a start. You should also include landscaping along with your lush green lawn to improve the beauty of your home's outside.

Landscaping also will raise your property values markedly. According to many realtors, adding landscaping effects can increase the value of your home and property by as much as fifteen percent!

You don't have to go hog wild with your landscaping. And, it doesn't have to cost a lot of money. We have some great ideas for you to try! The first aspect of landscaping you should address is any existing trees that are in your yard. Take a good look at those trees noticing any unsightly limbs or limbs that are looming over your home. These limbs need to come off not only for looks but for safety as well.

You can do this yourself with a long-arm tree trimmer or hire a tree service. You'll be surprised at what an improvement a little tree trimming can be! Go to your local nursery or home improvement store and browse through their plants to see which ones appeal to you. Don't just look at flowers, notice trees and bushes as well. Take note of their cost and names as well as the care that will be required for these plants.

You'll want to include a mix of shrubs, plants, and flowers to make your landscaping interesting and pleasant to look at. Here are some of the more popular choices among homeowners. Azaleas are flowering bushes that come in many colors. When in full bloom, these bushes are striking in their beauty. They need to be planted in a partially shaded area. If you put your azalea bush in full sun, you'll need to make sure it has plenty of water. The best part about this plant is that they will attract all sorts of butterflies to your yard further improving the beauty you are offering those around you! They come in blooms of purple, pink, white, or red and can get as tall as 6 to 12 feet! These bushes adapt best to full sun. So many people love beautiful roses, it's a good compliment to your gorgeous green lawn. Color choices are vast and varied as are the types of bushes you can buy. Some can grow quite tall while others can remain smaller. Roses can require a lot of attention and care, but the results are amazingly satisfying. They need about six hours of full sun per day. This is a very common shrub used in yard all over the world. They have densely packed green leaves and are rounded in shape. They can be shaped easily with shrub trimmers. They should be planted in partial shade. Yews Yew shrubs can be large or small depending on the variety. They are needle-bearing evergreens in a deep green color on top which is lighter underneath. Yews can grow in sun or shade.

This bush is a fun little eye catcher that stays beautiful all through the winter. They have small, white flowers in the spring and produce bright red berries that remain into the winter. It can be grown in full sun or partial shade, and will attract songbirds to your yard! What a wonderful perk! Sumac The sumac is a tree that gives a beautiful performance in the fall when the leaves change color. There are many varieties, but stay away from the poison sumac! They need full sun to partial shade.

Hydrangea bushes are just beautiful additions to any yard. They have bright green leaves and huge, round flowers in a variety of colors. They can grow in partial shade.

The spirea shrub reaches a height of 2-3' and spreads out 2-3'. It requires full sun. The shrub's foliage is dark green in summer, but its fall color is red. In May the plant bears small, white flowers in clusters.

These early bloomers sport the vibrant yellow flowers that have become a fixture of spring dreams. Their flowers precede their leaves. There are different varieties that grow in different ways, so do your research. They grow best in full sun. There are many varieties of trees that can make your yard a real showplace as well. When you buy a tree, however, remember that you will have to wait a few years before you can enjoy the beauty it has to offer. There are also hundreds of types of flowers that you can plant in beds throughout your yard. Some are annuals, but your best bet is to go for perennials so you can watch the flowers come up year after year without having to plant them!

Once you've taken a good look around the nursery, don't buy anything yet! Go home and look at your yard. Think of the best places to put the plants you like to achieve an eye-catching display.

Sit down with a piece of paper and map out your yard. Be sure to check with the utility companies (power, cable, etc.) to find out if and where there are any buried wires. Make note of where you want certain plants, bushes, and trees to go. Group together those plants that share the same care and light considerations.

Then go wild - well within your budget that is. Buy your plants and trees and install them in your yard.

For bushes and trees, you'll need to dig a large hole that can fully accommodate the root ball. Once your tree or bush is in the ground, mulch around it and apply some fertilizer. After that's done, just water and you're done. Pay close attention to these plants while they are acclimating themselves to the ground and spreading their roots to take hold. Fertilize and water on a regular basis then enjoy your new plants.

Landscaping is about more than just pretty plants, bushes, trees, and flowers. There are also some other aspects you can add to make your yard pleasant and beautiful.

Building a deck or porch onto your home is a great way to not only increase outdoor space for lounging on cool spring nights, but also to add an interesting focal point. You can easily build your own deck with a little carpentry know-how. Many home improvement stores carry deck plans and can even help you with all the supplies you'll need.

Another very interesting addition to a yard is a rock waterfall.