Preparing for Winter

While the season is almost over, there is more work to do in the garden in November! Completing these tasks now will give you a head start on the work to be done in spring.

Many herbaceous plants can be cut back to the ground once their foliage turns brown. This group of plants includes Peony, False Indigo, Iris, Salvia, Daylily, Catmint, and Penstemon. These plants are very hardy and send up new growth early in spring. Other plants can wait to be cut back until spring such as Astilbe, Lavender, Geum, and Lady’s Mantle.

Annual plants and vegetables can be removed to clear a space for next year. Don’t forget to collect seeds or take cuttings of what you want to have in your garden next year!

Containers that aren’t being used to display winter greens can be cleaned out and sanitized for next year. Store them upside down in an area where they won’t get wet or cover them with a tarp.

In areas with a lot of animal activity, protect the trunk and stems of woody plants. Trees can be wrapped with a thick cloth like burlap or fenced with a material like chicken wire to prevent deer and rabbits from browsing and scratching.

Prepared by Lindsey Smith, Plant Collections Curator