Homeowners might be surprised to learn how much harsh winters damage their yards. Turns out, the cold temperatures, white Christmases and beautiful icicles in the trees are not that great for your foliage.

The University of Maryland Extension, a statewide, nonformal education service that focuses on agriculture and natural resources, notes that winter causes cold damage, such as broken branches, winter burn and leaf drop. Rapid temperature swings and dry, freezing conditions can injure shrubs and trees. What’s more, deicing salts and chemicals can wreak havoc on your lawn.

Luckily, homeowners can easily reverse most — if not all — of the damage with a little bit of elbow grease, a few garden tools and, most likely, some sweat.

Here’s how you can do it:

Clean up

Hopefully, you follow the concept of “leave the leaves,” the environmentally conscious practice of leaving fallen leaves, stems and brush on the ground, rather than raking, bagging or shredding them. The National Park Service says this practice provides habitat for pollinators and adds nutrients to the soil. But eventually, you have to clean them up. Remove all bramble, sticks, weeds, dead leaves and other organic matter from your yard and set the stage for step two.

Time to mulch

”This Old House,” the long-running PBS home improvement show, says homeowners should clean up their garden beds and define the edges to create a clear, sharp line between the grass and the beds. At this point, apply mulch to help retain moisture after watering and rain. The show recommends bark, hemlock or leaf mulch. “Whatever type you choose, apply a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch around your plants, being careful not to pile it against tree trunks or plant stems. This prevents rot and allows the plants to breathe.”

Pruning

Not all of your shrubs and plants need to be pruned. (For more details on the timing of pruning — and a discussion of old vs. new wood — see this paper’s April “Miss Floribunda” column.) Some shrubs, such as boxwoods, more than likely do not need any. If a shrub is growing out of control, pruning stimulates new growth and the problem compounds. It helps to know what plants and shrubs you selected for your landscape and determine a course of action. “This Old House” recommends pruning flowering perennials to a height of 4 to 5 inches and ornamental grasses to 2 to 3 inches. “Trimming allows fresh shoots to grow and emerge unimpeded,” reads its website, which also recommends that you focus your pruning efforts on azaleas, lilacs and rhododendrons.

Compost your yard waste

Don’t toss all of the material you remove from your garden and landscape. Compost it. A good way to create rich soil for your garden, composting is also environmentally friendly. “Composting diverts organic materials, such as food scraps, yard trimmings, wood and manure that would otherwise be disposed of in landfills or trash incinerators, and recycles them into compost, a valuable soil amendment,” the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says. “Producing and using compost provides benefits to the environment, the economy and communities.” You may compost your yard waste or use municipal and county composting programs. Just be sure to put yard waste in paper bags if it doesn’t fit in your compost toter.

While you are at it …Winter is equally harsh on the exterior of your house, particularly the siding, foundation, trim and windows. Homeowners need to address those areas immediately before they become a serious problem. “Inspect the gutters and downspouts to make sure everything is intact and draining properly,” says Adam Betalvi, of Hyattsville-based Solid Home Improvement. “Check for cracks in masonry and any signs of moisture around windows and doors. It’s also a good time to service your HVAC system, reseal exposed wood (such as decks and fences), and correct any drainage issues before they turn into bigger, more expensive problems.”