It’s always a sad time when the last of the leaves have fallen. And while nearly everyone has experienced the joy of raking the leaves and then jumping in piles, it’s not all fun and games.

Properly putting your garden to bed is essential if you plan on having a lush and healthy garden when spring comes back around. In our gardens, we cut back perennials. We reduce the roses by cutting back long branches and diseased areas to avoid wind or snow damage. Wait until just before bud break in March to cut all the way back for a finer pruning. We lay down a top dressing of compost or light mulch for insulation to protect roots from freezing and thawing. We spray anti-desiccant on all broad leaf evergreens like rhododendrons, holly and boxwood. Along with rooftop trees, boxwood will be wrapped in a layer of burlap to shield from winter burn. All pots are emptied and irrigation systems are blown out. Lawns are over-seeded. This promotes grass growth but prevents the bad weeds from creeping in. Now, your garden is ready for holiday decoration!

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