Preparing a perennial garden for winter is one of the last projects of the gardening season. Some fall gardening tasks are done for aesthetic reasons while others are done for health of the garden. The following are some important gardening projects which will improve the health of your perennial garden and save you time in the spring.
Late in the fall, perennials begin to fade as their foliage starts to die back to the ground. Their roots are still alive but the above ground part of the plant is done for the season. Though cutting back the plants can be done in the spring, it’s generally done for aesthetic reasons in fall. There are some perennials, however, such as black eyed Susan and Sedum, which produce interesting seedheads, add character to the fall and winter landscape if left to stand in the garden.
Over time a perennial it may begin to outgrow its place in the garden. Correcting by dividing the plants this is best done toward the end of the season. Dividing these into smaller plants will keep plants from fighting over space while providing you with new flowers for other gardens. In the fall when the plants are beginning to die back prepare new planting areas somewhere on your property or if lack the space, pot the plants and give some away to your friends. To divide a perennial, simply dig the plant out of the garden making sure to preserve as much of the root system as possible. Take a shovel or a garden edger and chop or divide the plant in half. Remove any foliage which may have been severed. Replace the perennial back in the ground and back fill with a mix of compost and existing soil. Some of the easiest perennials to divide are daylilies, hosta, iris and sedum. Other such as sage and lady’s mantle are more fragile and can be difficult.
Spreading a layer of compost throughout the perennial garden adds to the soil organic matter and nutrients to the flowers over the plants the course of the following season. In areas which can expect lots of repeated freezing and thawing covering the perennial bed with slat marsh hay will help insulate the garden. Often plants will be heaved out of the ground if left exposed to freeze/thaw process resulting in plants which seem to be planted in mounds above the ground.
While planting bulbs could be considered preparing for spring this is something which could be done while winterizing you garden. Bulbs are the earliest blooming of all garden flowers blooming as early as February or early March. Bulbs can be used in the perennial garden where they can complement other early flowers. Planted in the lawn or beneath deciduous shade trees, bulbs can provide your property with spots of vibrant colors.
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