Getting Your Garden Ready for Old Man Winter

It’s November.  It’s windy and cold, the leaves have fallen off all but the most stubborn of trees and the sky is a steel grey.  Dedicated gardeners (some may call us crazy- I call us dedicated!) are still enjoying being outdoors, doing whatever they can before December’s frigid temperatures force us inside until late winter. Is there any reason to be in the garden now?

Sure there is!  Fall is a great time for getting a jumpstart on spring!  First of all, many stores put fall bulbs on sale now.  Bulbs can be planted until December if the ground isn’t frozen. 

I love to shop sales at Sam’s, Lowes and all the local nurseries.  I keep the bulbs in the garage, counting on a few nice days in November for planting.  The rewards of daffodils, tulips, alliums and crocus in spring far outweigh numb fingers in November. 

You can plant 11 to 15 bulbs in one large hole and have impressive displays in spring.  Simply dig a large hole about 6 inches deep, place a few handfuls of bulbs (pointed end up!) and cover the hole with soil. 

Honestly, it’s no big deal to do this 4 to 5 times in one day and in the spring you’ll be rewarded with drifts of cheery flowers to melt the memory of winter.  A word to the wise: deer LOVE tulips.  Unless you’ve got a fenced in, deer-proof area, don’t buy tulips.

Now let’s talk about fallen leaves.  When I drive down the road and see bags and bags of leaves waiting for the yard waste guy I just shake my head.  Why in the world would you spend your time raking and bagging all those leaves?  Don’t you know that leaves and pine needles are great soil amendments and the perfect insulation for winter? 

Pine needles are a superb top-dressing for your azaleas and rhododendrons.  They decompose quickly and resemble a lovely blanket of gold under the trees.  By spring, all you have to do is to top-dress with a little mulch.  Your azaleas will love you for it! 

Let’s talk leaves now.  I have gotten into more than a few heated arguments about letting leaves decompose in herbaceous borders.  Some people say that they never do decompose and they add mold and disease to the planting bed. 

I encourage gardeners to chop up the fallen leaves with a lawn mower or a weed wacker.  If you make a few passes with your lawnmower, shooting the leaves towards your beds, the pieces will be small and decompose by spring. 

Additionally, if you don’t mow your own lawn, you can chop up the leaves in a plastic trashcan with your weed wacker.  Just like putting food in your Cusinart, use the tool to chop up large leaves.  Then, empty the trash can full of leaf bits over your planting beds.  I can assure you, this is way less work than raking and bagging those leaves.  And, you’re getting free mulch!

Fall is the absolute best time for planting trees.  You can’t go into a nursery now and not see trees and shrubs on sale.  It’s a great chance to try a tree that might have been too expensive to consider previously. 

They can be planted as long as the ground can be worked.  That means mid-December, possibly even later, depending on the weather conditions. With the ground still being warm, trees naturally use their energy to push roots instead of leaves.  Plus, we usually have an adequate amount of rain in the fall and you won’t be driving yourself crazy worrying about keeping them wet. 

Cheaper, less stress and great plant selection.  Fall is the perfect time for trying out some new trees and shrubs.

On the other hand, I must advise you not to plant ornamental grasses in late fall.  They just don’t do well with the cooler soil temperatures.  That’s not to say that you’ll have 100% failure, but do realize that a significant amount of ornamental grasses just can’t push roots when the soil gets colder. September is about as late as you want to get ornamental grasses in the ground.

Lastly, fall is a super time to pop up errant honeysuckle babies and previously missed dandelions.  A great way to enjoy the last gasp of fall is to trek outdoors on a crisp, sunny afternoon, scouting out weeds and honeysuckle.  There’s something mesmerizing about the long shadows the trees cast in fall. 

Seize the day, with shovel in hand, knowing that spring and the garden’s rebirth can’t be too far away.