As the leaves start to fall, it is time to bring some plants indoors, and put others to bed for the winter. The easiest plants to store indoors over the winter are the bulbs and tubers that are not frost hardy, such as cannas, caladiums, elephant's ears, gladiolas and dahlias. Dig the tubers up after frost has killed the foliage. Cut off the stems and leaves and let the tubers rest and dry for several days in a cool place, like a shelf in the garage or shed. Store the tubers in labeled mesh bags filled with damp (not wet) peat moss. Check the peat moss occasionally to make sure it's still damp. Remove any tubers that have visibly rotted as soon as you see them to prevent the others from rotting as well.
In the autumn, it is a good idea to clear any debris out of garden beds. Leaf removal at this time of year is important to the garden’s health — whole leaves can be a breeding ground for insects and disease. In perennial beds, remove the fallen leaves and any brown or rotten plant stems. Trim off spent flower stalks down to where they came out of the plant. Cut plants like garden phlox, peonies and baptisia down to the ground. Some spring-blooming perennials like sundrops may have formed fresh green rosettes of foliage – clean them up and leave them in the bed. Leave some seed heads up for birds or winter interest from plants like black-eyed Susans, sedums, or ornamental grasses.
Clean as much debris as possible from under and around trees and shrubs. Do not prune spring flowering shrubs like azaleas or rhododendrons in the fall, as that will prune away next spring’s flowers. Wait until after the blooms fade in the spring to prune or shape them. If new shrubs were planted over the growing season, mulch around their bases right around first frost, as with the perennials.
Remove summer annuals, roots and all. If they have gone to seed, save some for next year, and compost the rest of the plant. Do the same with vegetable plants. Pull up and throw away all parts of tomato plants to prevent disease in the compost pile. Peas and beans can be cut down at ground level – their roots will fix nitrogen into the soil, a natural bonus.
At the time of first frost, once most of the leaves have finished falling from the trees, cover the entire perennial bed with at least two inches of mulch as a winter blanket. There are many choices for garden mulch. Hardwood mulch is sold in bags. Seedless straw or hay may be available at local farms, or use shredded (not whole) leaves. Evergreen boughs also make a good mulch.
Garden mums give us all the colors of fall — the oranges and yellows that signal the autumn months. There are also some beautiful bright pink and maroon mums, along with daisy-like whites. "Field grown" mums are more likely to survive the winter and provide fall color for years to come. When the mums finish flowering, cut the entire plant down to four inches from the ground. They are more likely to return next spring if a small amount of stalk is left over the winter.
As the autumn comes into full swing, it is time to think spring. Fall is the perfect time to plant garlic, and spring-blooming bulbs. Plant lots of bulbs for spring color. Remember that ten bulbs in a bunch are more dramatic than ten bulbs in a row. Crocus will be one of the first flowers up in early spring — always a welcome sight. Tulips of all sizes will put on a gorgeous display in the spring. And, of course, daffodils, large and small, yellow, white or pink, are a delight in the garden or the vase. Go out and pick a package of tulip bulbs, grab a bag of crocus, or try a drift of daffodils. The reward is worth the effort.
While putting the garden to bed for the winter, enjoy the beauty that is autumn. And think spring!
(Garlic is planted in the mulched bed. The two middle beds contain kale, chard, winter lettuce mixes and mustard.)
Lori Rose, The Midnight Gardener, May all your weeds be dandelions from a child