1. Rake leaves off the lawn before the snow comes. Leaves left matted on the grass all winter hold moisture and invite snow mold.
2. Keep mowing at your normal height until the grass stops growing for the year.
3. Guard young trees and shrubs with a ring of quarter inch or half inch hardware cloth, pinned flat at the base so voles and rabbits cannot chew the bark or tunnel under.
4. Mark your walk and driveway edges with stakes before the first storm, so shovels and plows stay off the edging and the plantings beside it.
Premium Landscape Design & Installation
Up North Scapes
THE LANDSCAPE LETTERVol. 1, Issue 6 ◆ November 2026
◆ Featured Project
From an Old Brick Walk to Granite Steps and a Boulder Wall
Published
The homeowners had just bought this house. It came with an old brick walkway, a porch that was pulling away from the house, and, because the lot slopes, a cement slab retaining wall next to the garage. They wanted a fresh front entry with room for a small perennial bed.
The crew took out the brick walk and built a new walk with granite steps up to the front door. For the slope, they used the boulders already on the property to build a retaining wall that blends into the yard. Halfway through, the homeowners decided to redo the driveway as well, and the crew took care of that too.
“I knew exactly what this would all cost up front and any additional expenses as we added to the job which helped keep us in budget. The crew was on time and worked efficiently and got most of this job done in a week.”Laura Carlsen, Google review
ServiceWalkways and granite steps
What we builtNew walk, granite steps, boulder retaining wall, new driveway
PhotosFrom this job, shared by the homeowner
Before · The Old Brick Walk and Porch
During · The Brick Walk Coming Out
After · New Walk and Perennial Bed
Seasonal Tips
Your November Yard Checklist
Pro Tip
On a stone walk or granite steps, shovel first and use only as much ice melt as you need. Rock salt can damage the plants along the walk. Calcium chloride is a little easier on plants, and sand gives grip without melting anything.
Company News
New on the Blog
Three new articles went up at the end of October:
Getting New Plants Through Your First New Hampshire Winter
How Wide Should a Walkway Be, and Where Should It Go?
Retaining Wall Ideas for a Sloped New Hampshire Yard
Getting New Plants Through Your First New Hampshire Winter
How Wide Should a Walkway Be, and Where Should It Go?
Retaining Wall Ideas for a Sloped New Hampshire Yard
Granite Steps or Concrete?
Thinking about replacing tired front steps like the ones in this issue? Our side by side comparison walks through how each one holds up in a New Hampshire winter. Read the comparison →
Did You Know?
Chicken wire will not stop voles. The holes are big enough for voles and mice to slip through, which is why tree guards use quarter inch or half inch hardware cloth instead.
What Homeowners Say
★★★★★“Highly recommend Derek and his crew. Derek guided us throughout the entire project planning and execution process helping us realize our vision. Derek was responsive to our initial inquiry, followed up with a quote in a timely fashion, and completed the work on schedule. His crew was exceptionally professional, skilled, and ensured they cleaned up at the end of each day. I wouldn’t hesitate to hire Up North Scapes, LLC in the future.”Andy Brown, Google review
If we worked on your property this year, a quick Google review helps the next Seacoast homeowner find us.
Leave a ReviewOn the Calendar
Now: Rake leaves off the lawn and keep mowing until the grass stops growing
Before the first storm: Hardware cloth guards on young trees, stakes along walk edges
All winter: Shovel first, then use as little ice melt as you need
Before the first storm: Hardware cloth guards on young trees, stakes along walk edges
All winter: Shovel first, then use as little ice melt as you need