At Home Rewards says that, whether you're partial to "April showers bring May flowers" or instead prefer, "Only God can make a tree," one thing is certain: For a healthy lawn and blooming flowers next spring, yard landscaping and preparation must begin this fall.

At Home Rewards, a leading membership discount program offered by Adaptive Marketing LLC, offers members some valuable yard maintenance tips to make that lawn and garden the envy of the neighborhood.

Proper lawn care and landscaping have become a year-round proposition. It doesn't demand a green thumb, but it does take commitment and consistency.

With that in mind, At Home Rewards offers the following words of physician-turned-poet William Carlos Williams: "So much depends on a red wheel barrow -- glazed with rain water." Some experts say that Williams intended to show a simple snapshot of American life -- to indicate beauty through simple and mundane objects. So when it comes to keeping a solid and good-looking lawn, nothing flowery is required. Instead, keeping overall flora beautified may depend more on regular maintenance and the following types of careful preparation:

-- "Oh, the water." Regardless of whether rock 'n' roll icon Van Morrison was into gardening, the aforementioned refrain from his 1970 hit "It Stoned Me" reminds us that running water is not only a symbol of freedom, but is also a key to maintaining a healthy lawn. Proper storage of water hoses is pivotal, and that means bringing outdoor hoses in out of the cold during the winter months. And while you're at it, turn off the outside water supply if the air temperature is expected to dip below 40 degrees.

-- Breathe deep. A healthy lawn is one that breathes. Leaf blowers and similar power methods are certainly more efficient for fall clean-up, but raking the lawn by hand aerates the grass and helps loosen up the soil.

-- Groom it or lose it. Experts say that the optimal height for cool season (fall) grass is about 2.5 inches. So be perverse and give your lawn a summer haircut in fall, and keep it short throughout the winter. Come spring, that high and tight cool weather lawn coif will make an easy transition to those lush green lawns -- just like the ones on TV.

-- Bye-bye blackbird. Cleaning out what birds leave behind can really make a difference when it comes to bugs. When birds fly south for the winter, clean out the remnants of their nests and any nearby birdhouses. The more bird-related debris you manage to clean up, the less likely parasitic bugs will be to survive the winter.

At Home Rewards is all about giving its members useful tricks and tips on all kinds of home care, decorating and home entertainment ideas. Acting like a home care pro means thinking like one. Just ask the home care experts from At Home Rewards.

About At Home Rewards
At Home Rewards is a leading membership discount program offered by Adaptive Marketing LLC. Headquartered in Norwalk, Conn., Adaptive Marketing is a category leader in membership programs, bringing value direct to consumers through an array of benefits in healthcare, discounts, security, personal property and personals. Members may access their benefits at AtHome-Rewards.com. With broad online and offline distribution capabilities, Adaptive Marketing offers its corporate client partners effective tools to enhance market presence, strengthen customer affinity and generate additional value through programs such as At Home Rewards.