​In the winter, weed control is more apparent than in summer. Why? Your lawn is dormant in winter and typically brownish. Winter weeds grow big and green in the winter and stick out like a sore thumb. These weeds then drop their seeds and spread and get worse each year. 

Controlling these weeds now will keep your lawn looking nice and uniform all winter long. This will also keep these weeds from establishing themselves before spring. 

First thing you need to do is identify the type of weed. Some are easy, like clover, some are not. If you are not sure what it is, take a picture and post on a landscaping forum. Google also has an image search that sometimes works, sometimes not. 

All hardware stores sell selective herbicides. Check the label for your type of weed. Make sure it is safe to apply over your type of grass and go for it. This will greatly reduce the number of weeds in your lawn and you can no stay indoors on the upcoming cold days.

​When water freezes, it expands. If you have exposed pipes for your water hoses or irrigation systems, this can cause an unexpected repair. An outdoor water leak in freezing temperatures is no fun. Not to mention the cost to repair it. Insulate your exposed pipes. Shut off your irrigation back flow and drain it. It does not take long to winterize your irrigation system and can save you from being covered in water during freezing temperatures.

If you have cracks in your driveway, freezing water will expand those cracks even further. Use some self leveling concrete to repair those cracks before they get worse. If it is a small area, concrete repair tubes are sold that can be used with a caulk gun. These can be applied easily to cracks in walkways to keep they small.

​This is a great time to add some seasoning to your garden. Cool-season herbs grow well in Louisiana’s fall season. Annual herbs to keep include coriander, cilantro, dill, fennel, chicory and parsley.

Perennial herbs keep well also during these colder months. Options include thyme, lavender, rosemary, mint, chives, oregano, catnip (for kitty), and pineapple sage. Chamomile is a perennial, but cannot survive the summer in Louisiana, so think of it as an annual if you choose to plant it.

You will want to plant your herbs as close to the kitchen as possible. The further away they are, the less likely they are to be used. If you do not have an area close to the kitchen, herbs do very well when grown in containers.

Only get herbs your regularly cook with and only a few plants of each. This will keep the space required for planting to a minimum and keep your herb gardening purchases cheap. 

Most herbs like well drained soil and to grow at a moderate pace. Do not apply a lot of fertilizer to your herbs. A nice mix of compost will do fine. If you do not have access to compost, and you must fertilize, use a half dose of the recommended amount. Herbs that grow too quickly do not have as much flavor.

You will still reap the benefits in spring and summer of an herb garden planted now. Herbs will have time to develop over the winter and will be better equipped to handle the heat of summer. I hope your herb garden leads to a lot of delicious meals shared with family and friends.