With Christmas just around the corner, it won’t be long until we’re turning the calendar to a new year and can begin to dream of a fresh season of gardening laid out like a blank canvas before us. In this season of gardening rest, there are still things you can do to keep your garden looking its best, even if just preparations for the year to come. If you’re looking for ways to scratch your gardening itch—or just take a break from your visiting in-laws—here are a few tips to close out the year.

First, chances are pretty good that you have some tools in the garage or shed that could use a little maintenance. I’m just as guilty as anyone of putting tools away at the end of the season that aren’t the cleanest, especially if I’ve been working in the garden late in the season when the ground is muddy. If your shovels are caked with hardened mud, brush and hose them off to prevent rust from forming. Follow up the cleaning by filing the digging edge of your shovel head to remove small dings caused by rocks and to sharpen the edge for smooth digging next spring. Finally, wipe the metal shovel head with oil to further prevent rusting, and treat any wooden handles with oil as well to keep the wood from drying and splintering.

Next, show your hand pruners a little love by following a similar pattern to the steps listed above. Depending on the type of pruners you have, you may be able to disassemble and clean the parts separately. I use Felco pruners in my own gardening and love the ease of disassembling the tool to be able to soak the parts and really get the pruner clean. Because pruners tend to build up sap deposits along the blade, you may find it helpful to soak them in a solution of Goo Gone to remove the sticky build-up, and if necessary, follow up by treating with rust remover to clean up any oxidation. Finally, use a sharpening stone to carefully sharpen your blade and ensure clean cuts when pruning.

Third, get your game plan in place for anything you may need to protect in the event of a winter storm. This year’s long-range winter weather forecast for warmer and drier conditions consistent with an “El Nino” winter, but as last Saturday’s serendipitous snowfall in northern Whatcom County proved, anything can happen, so be winter-ready.

If you have tender plants that winter burn easily, you may remember that last month I recommended treating with Wilt Stop to prevent desiccation in our freeze-drying northeasters. For additional protection, you may want to have some burlap, an old blanket, or even some large black shrub pots at the ready to wrap or cover tender plants prior to a winter storm. And whenever possible, if you have potted plants that you can move, you’ll find that just about anything in a pot will be warmer and happier moved up against a sunny south- or west-facing wall during the winter months.

Finally, it’s not too early to start dreaming of next year, but before you get too far down the road of planning for next season, have you made notes of this year’s gardening successes and failures? I’m a big fan of journaling to keep gardening records, but if you don’t always remember to write things down, chances are good you’ve probably taken some photos of your garden along the way that can help piece together some of your records. During some downtime over the holidays, scroll through this season’s photos on your phone and make some notes of what turned out great in your garden and what could use some improvement in the coming year.

It’s hard to believe that another year in the garden has wrapped up, and yet, I love to take a break and rest up for a new season just around the corner. I am reminded, however, that I do have a shovel that could use a little TLC, so I’m off to practice what I preach.