Preparing Your Yard Furniture and Decor for Plow Season

3 min read · Thames Valley Snow, London, Ontario

Summer patio furniture, decorative planters, and garden ornaments often end up forgotten near the driveway edge once fall arrives, right in the path of where snow will get pushed all winter. A quick fall cleanup around your driveway perimeter prevents damage to items you'd rather not replace every spring.

Anything sitting within a couple metres of the driveway edge is at risk once plowing starts, whether from a direct hit by equipment or from being buried under a snow pile and forgotten until spring thaw reveals the damage. Planters, decorative rocks, solar lights, and garden statues are common casualties every winter simply because homeowners didn't think about where snow actually ends up once it's cleared off the pavement.

Moving these items to a garage, shed, or a spot well away from the driveway edge before the first snowfall is the simplest fix. If something can't be moved, like a large permanent planter or a low retaining wall, marking it clearly with a reflective stake helps plow operators see it and avoid it, especially in low light or during heavy snowfall.

Think about where snow will actually be piled too, not just the driveway surface itself. If your provider typically pushes snow to one side of the driveway, keep that entire zone clear of anything you don't want buried or damaged for the whole season, not just what's immediately touching the pavement.

A fall checklist for the driveway edge

Walk the full length of your driveway and the first metre or two on each side. Bring in patio furniture, hoses and hose reels, solar path lights, small planters and garden ornaments. Coil and store extension cords from holiday lighting until they are actually in use, and keep them off the driveway surface. Check for low edging, landscape timbers or a raised garden border that a blade could catch.

Mark what has to stay

Some things cannot move: a large planter, a lamp post, a mailbox, a low retaining wall or a curb stop cover. Tall reflective driveway markers placed just outside these items show where the edge is once snow has covered everything. Markers work best when they go in before the ground freezes.

Plan where the snow will go

Snow from a driveway has to go somewhere, usually onto the lawn on one or both sides. Keep that area clear of anything breakable, and avoid placing decorations where piles will sit until March. If there is a spot you do not want snow piled (a young tree, a garden bed, a window well), mark it or mention it to your snow company before the season.

Does Thames Valley Snow mark driveway edges?

Yes. Driveway edges, steps and drains are marked before the season starts, so crews can see them once snow covers everything.

What if something gets buried?

Moving loose items before the first storm is the best protection. Anything left near the edge may end up under a pile until the spring thaw.

What's included with Thames Valley Snow, and what's extra

Every seasonal plan includes automatic service whenever 5 cm falls (you never need to call), driveway clearing edge to edge including the City plow ridge at the end, and a timestamped photo after every visit. A single driveway is $650 + HST for the season, a double is $815, and per-visit service starts at $70.

Optional add-ons (+ HST): seasonal salting including freezing rain and refreeze visits $175, walkway and up to 6 steps $175, City sidewalk frontage $90, pet-safe premium de-icer $120, priority early-morning clearing $125, and a season extension from November 1 to April 15 for $95. Seniors and front-line workers (nurses, firefighters, police, paramedics and teachers) save 5% on any seasonal contract.

Get a fixed price for your property: request a free quote or call or text (548) 888-8702. You can also see all snow removal prices or read about residential snow removal.