Preparing Plants And Garden For Winter

It is very important to get the garden ready for winter. The garden is still alive during the winter though most of the activity is below ground. 

I usually use a 4 step process for the following selected plants.

• Blackberries
• Raspberries
• Sedum
• Hops
• Peony Sorbet
• Iris
• Daylily
• Coneflower
• Lily

4 step process:

• Cut down plant to ground level and dispose of the cuttings in the compost bin(s)
• Remove dead material or weeds around base of plant
• Apply rotted cow manure in an area roughly equal to the extent of growth
• Add a layer of shredded mulch about 1" thick above manure 

One of the peony sorbet locations prepared for Winter.

The following plants get a 3 step process.

• Tree Peony
• Gooseberries
• Black Currants
• Red Currants
• Gooseberries
• Blueberries (add acid treatment to soil)

Steps:

• Remove dead material or weeds around base of plant
• Apply rotted cow manure in an area roughly equal to the extent of growth
• Add a layer of shredded mulch about 1" thick above manure 

Fall is also the time to plant lilies. I planted 2 groups of fragrant lilies this Fall. 

One of the new locations of the lilies is shown below.

A snapshot of one section of the front garden shows preparation for the winter. 

I don't cut all of the other plants down for the winter because insects overwinter in the roots, stems, and growth. 

I also leave coneflower seeds. They provide a winter food source for the birds.

Proper preparation in the Fall for your garden to grow in the Winter will enable the plants to have a great start in the Spring!