Garden Designs by R&L

Tired of w**ds, messy edges, and sad-looking beds?
We turn overgrown spaces into clean, eye-catching landscapes you’ll actually be proud of.

✔️ W**d removal
✔️ Fresh mulch or rock
✔️ Bed reshaping & edging
✔️ Plant cleanup & design refresh

Serving Bryant and surrounding areas.
**Free estimates within 10 miles of Bryant.**

📞 Call/Text: 501-804-3443
🌐 gardendesignsbyrandl.com

*We create the space you’ve always dreamed of.*

Call now to connect with business.

# # How to Properly Winterize Your Landscape in Arkansas

*(So spring doesn’t come back and roast you like last summer’s tomatoes)*

Winter in Arkansas is… moody. One day it’s 70°, the next it’s ice on the birdbath. That wild swing is exactly why winterizing your landscape here is less about “shutting it down” and more about **preparing it to survive chaos and bounce back strong in spring.**

Here’s the right way to do it—without overworking yourself or accidentally killing what you just spent all year growing.

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# # 1. Clean Up (But Don’t Go Full Military Mode)

Start with the basics:

* Remove **dead annuals** and spent vegetable plants
* Rake up **heavy leaf piles** (especially off lawns and flowerbeds)
* Cut back **diseased or damaged plants**

But here’s the Arkansas pro tip:
👉 **Don’t strip everything bare.** Some perennials and ornamental grasses actually benefit from leaving growth in place—it insulates roots and protects against freezes.

Think “tidy, not sterile.”

# # 2. Prune the Right Stuff (And Leave the Rest Alone)

Winter is great for pruning **dormant trees and shrubs**, but not all of them.

# # # Safe to prune:

* Crape myrtles (lightly—no “crape murder”)
* Roses
* Fruit trees
* Overgrown shrubs

# # # Don’t prune yet:

* Spring bloomers like azaleas, hydrangeas, and forsythia
(They already set buds—cut now and you’re cutting off spring flowers.)

Rule of thumb:
**If it blooms in spring, wait. If it blooms in summer, you’re usually safe.**

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# # 3. Mulch Is Your Winter Blanket

Mulch is one of the most important (and most skipped) steps.

Apply **2–3 inches** of:

* Shredded bark
* Pine needles
* Hardwood mulch

Benefits:

* Insulates roots from freeze/thaw cycles
* Prevents winter w**ds
* Holds moisture in dry winter air

Just don’t pile it against tree trunks—plants like breathing, not suffocating.


# # 4. Protect Sensitive Plants

Arkansas winters aren’t brutal, but the **random deep freezes** will wipe out tropical or borderline plants.

Protect:

* Banana trees
* Elephant ears
* Hibiscus
* Young shrubs and newly planted beds

Use:

* Frost cloth or burlap
* Pine straw mounds
* Old blankets (just remove during warm spells)

Basically: if it looks expensive or exotic, tuck it in at night.

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# # 5. Lawn Care (Yes, Even When It’s “Dead”)

Your grass is dormant, not gone.

Before winter:

* Mow one last time (slightly shorter than normal)
* Remove heavy leaf cover
* Avoid heavy foot traffic on frozen turf

Optional but powerful:

* Apply **winter fertilizer** to strengthen roots for spring green-up.

Future you will be very grateful.

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# # 6. Water—But Smarter

Even in winter, plants need moisture.

Water:

* During long dry stretches
* Before a hard freeze (moist soil insulates better)

But don’t overdo it—soggy roots + cold = rot city.

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# # 7. Prep Beds for Spring (Your Secret Weapon)

Winter is perfect for:

* Adding compost
* Building new beds
* Planning layout changes
* Installing edging or stone

Because nothing says “professional gardener” like being ready **before** everyone else realizes it’s spring.

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# # The Arkansas Golden Rule of Winter Landscaping

You’re not trying to make your yard look perfect in winter.
You’re trying to make it **unstoppable in spring.**

Do it right now and:

* Fewer dead plants
* Less w**d invasion
* Faster spring growth
* Way less money spent replacing stuff

In other words: winter prep = spring flex. 💪🌱

Your future landscape will thank you. And your neighbors will quietly wonder how your yard always wakes up first.

Call now to connect with business.

Even though it is still Frosty outside i January does not mean that you can't start preparing or spring! Consider some plants you can add to this year's garden that can add interest, even in the winter months!
Color doesn't only come from flowers, it comes from ; foliage, berries, and even bark! And surprsingly enough some plants to bloom in winter. Check out some options below:

Plant Feature Care

Camellia flowers with blooms of pink white and red MS/AF

Witch hazel shrub with fragrant flowers med Feb thru
march

Standard Crepre Myrtles Will Depend on variety

Edworthia or large silvery flowerbuds late fall
Pagebusch

Helleboare blooms December thru April

Mahonia Fragrand yellow blooms in winter

WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR NEW FOLLOWERS!

DISCOUNTS ON PLANTS, BULBS, BUSHES COMING SOON!!!!!

ALL HOU4EPLANTS ARE $15/HAVE A LOT MORE THAN PICS HERE!

(501) 804-3443

Landscape Lighting makes a world of difference!!!!!!