Yorkton and District Horticultural Society

Summer’s done, and now comes the task of putting our gardens to bed for the winter!  It’s a feeling of satisfaction for a season well-spent, and a chance to evaluate this year’s garden. But first, some basics to get ready for winter.

• Clean up any dried up plants from your garden. If they were healthy, add them to your compost pile, if you have one. But if the plants were diseased in any way, dispose of them in the garbage. Be sure to rake up any diseased leaves and throw them in the garbage as well so they aren’t causing problems in your garden next year.
• If you like to trim back your perennials in the fall, now is the time.  But leave perennials that have seed heads: these provide winter interest in the garden, and also give the birds a winter treat.
• Pull out the spent plants from your containers, and stack the containers in an orderly fashion. Whether you empty them of soil or not depends on if you have a place to put the soil, or whether you prefer to have them with soil in place when spring comes.
• Be sure to put clay or ceramic pots in a garage or shed to avoid breakage.
• Clean your garden tools before putting them away for the season. The implements will last longer if they are cleaned and not given a chance to get rusty.
• Label your perennials, especially new plants that you added this year.  It’s so easy to lose track of where they are, and you don’t want to disturb them by mistake in the spring!
• Do not cover or wrap perennials or cedars until the weather turns cold. If you wrap them too early they could still form tender new growth which will be damaged when the real cold comes. Wait until the weather changes, for real, before your wrap any plants.
• Do not wrap plants in plastic; it has no insulation value. Use cardboard, burlap, or wrap meant specifically for winter protection.
• If you have any perennials in containers, plant them in the garden before winter. They will not survive above ground. I know there are exceptions, and I’m sure we all rejoice when we hear of a plant surviving the winter in this fashion, but most do not. Avoid the risk and give them a better chance to be here next spring.
• While it is nice to see a well-cleaned yard in the fall, try not to be overly enthusiastic! Remember that the beneficial bugs like ladybugs need a place to call home over the winter.  If you don’t leave any fallen leaves in your yard, the little garden friends will go to another yard, and in the spring you will wish they were there! So  leave the leaves under your shrubs or in your perennial borders. They will be good mulch for your plants, and winter homes for beneficial insects.

And one final note, be sure to keep a garden journal of what was a success and what was a failure in this year’s garden. Next spring, it will help you when it is time to plant!

Keep up with your daily garden tours good for the body, good for the soul!

   Debbie Hayward

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