The grass is always greener on the other side, right? Well, next year it doesn’t have to be. Lawn and garden supplier Scotts Company offers tips to help you protect your lawn through the winter months and keep it looking lush and beautiful next summer.

• Re-seed any grass that has been hurt by summer heat and drought. Keep the new seed and grass watered, and don’t do any weed control until after the fourth watering.
• Help keep disease and bugs at bay by cutting back old perennials and vegetable gardens. Use the clippings to start a compost pile.
• Instead of raking fallen leaves, run your mower over them two or three times. Leaves left on the lawn during the winter can block sunlight and thin the grass.
• Plant trees and shrubs toward the beginning of the fall season, so there is less shock to the roots and they start growing early in the spring.
• Continue to cut the grass the same height (2 to 3 inches) until the final cut at the beginning of winter. Don’t go any shorter on that last cut.