October 7, 2025
Preparing Your Lawn and Garden for Winter
October in Parker brings cooler temperatures, shorter days, and the rewarding golds, reds and bronze colors of autumn. For the owners of new homes in Looking Glass, as the growing season winds down, lawns and gardens could use a bit of TLC to prep for winter. Here are a few quick tips as cold weather approaches.
Lawn Care Tips
Mow: Continue mowing your lawn until growth slows, keeping grass at about 2.5 to 3 inches. Don’t cut it too short; longer blades of grass help protect the roots from the cold and discourages those pesky weeds.
Rake: Mulch or rake fallen leaves. A thick layer of leaves can smother your grass, promote disease and hinder spring growth.
Fertilize: Not everybody does this, but applying a slow-release, nitrogen-rich fertilizer early in October gives roots a nutrient boost before they go dormant. It also helps your lawn green up in the spring.
Aerate: If you haven’t already aerated, October is still a good time. Aeration can relieve soil compaction, improve drainage, and help your roots develop.
Water: Continue watering as needed, especially during dry spells. Some fall days in Parker can reach 80-degree temps! As temperatures fall consistently, cut back on watering, but make sure your soil stays moist until the ground freezes.
Protect Tender Plants: Cover sensitive shrubs and young trees with burlap, trunk protectors, or frost blankets when an early frost is forecast.
Mulch: Add a 2–3 inch layer of mulch to protect trees, shrubs and perennials and insulate roots from temperature swings
Garden Care Advice
Clean Up Annuals: Get rid of dead/dried annuals and cut back perennials once they have stopped blooming.
Plant Bulbs: October is a great time to plant spring-flowering bulbs like tulips, daffodils, and crocuses. Just make sure to get the bulbs planted before the first hard freeze.
Add Compost to the soil. This is the best time of year to buy it from your local nursery or home improvement store – not only will you save money, you’ll be adding nutrients to the soil for spring planting!
Vegetable Gardens
Do a last harvest of any ripe or almost-ripe tomatoes, peppers, melons, summer squash, and other tender crops.
Dig sweet potatoes.
Plant garlic toward the end of the month after you’ve had a freeze. Consider planting a cover crop like winter rye to add back nutrients to your garden soil.
Parker, Colorado is known to “enjoy” early frosts and occasional snow in October. We remember plenty of Halloween celebrations amid falling snowflakes! Watch weather forecasts so you can react to protect plants if a frost is predicted. A little bit of prevention and prep now can save you time and effort in the spring, while also boosting curb appeal!
Looking Glass Homes and Amenities
As new home owners in the new build community of Looking Glass in Parker, protecting our landscape investment is top of mind as freezing temps loom. If you don’t live here yet but are looking for the perfect Parker community to put down your own roots, check out the model homes offered by Dream Finders Homes and coming soon, single-family and paired homes from Richmond American. Looking Glass homes and amenities are worth looking into!