There is a lot to do – but not the rush we have in the Spring. Peonies should be cut down and burned as they harbor botrytis. Hostas should be cut down and foliage destroyed. That way there will be no place for slugs to hide. They don’t need mulching. If you do, you will make it easy for the slugs to winter over.
Grasses and seed plants can be left up as they provide food for the birds. After all, the garden is to be shared–to a point If you mulch too soon, you can make a home for Mickey Mouse. Wait until the ground has frozen. The idea is to keep the soil frozen — not warm. This will prevent heaving roots out of the ground. November is a good month to fertilize the lawn. I use an’ organic lawn food. It works for me and there is more time in the Fall.
Mulch your leaves along with your kitchen waste (no meat or fats). Add a handful of blood meal to help replace nitrogen during composting. Even if you just pile it up, nature will do the rest eventually. Add it to the garden and you will really see a huge difference. Leave ornamental grass until Spring. I find it more beautiful in Winter.
With evergreens mixed in your perennial beds, a garden in Winter can be almost as nice as it is in Summer. Now is the time to think about Spring. Catalogs start coming and you can plan for a new garden that will be bigger and better than ever. Keep a
journal and when you read something you like to do write it down. Read up on the plants you want. A plant encyclopedia is a must. Learn the Latin names. You must have some knowledge of them in order to get the plant you want.
All maples (acer) are not the same. The encyclopedia will tell you all you need to know to make an intelligent decision.
Garden magazines give you a lot of good ideas for your next year’s garden. Write them down with pictures and sources. Try some of the exotic ones that are different and a challenge. This is what gardening is all about.
