It is that time of year as we start to see the dust on the mountains and mornings get crisper that our gardens need a bit of care to rest for the winter. So, over the next few weeks as you bring in final harvests and are putting the veggies of your labor into storage that you will also want to make sure you are helping out you garden to ensure an even better start next spring. Listed are a few of the To Dos you will want to make sure you check off before snow blankets the ground.

TO DO:

• Turn over your compost pile one last time.
• Clean up your flower beds.
• Cut back perennials that are done blooming.
• Trim off any dead vegetation.
• Take cuttings from plants you want to propagate.
• Plant shrubs and trees.
• Order spring bulbs.
• Weed your garden beds to prepare them for winter.
• Inspect your plants for any diseased foliage, and remove it. Dispose of it properly; do not put it in the compost pile where it can continue to spread disease to plants via the compost. Also, disinfect your tools, such as pruners, between each plant to avoid spreading disease.
• Keep up with your harvesting, as many plants will be producing now. Failure to harvest can slow down production.
• Improve Your Soil
• Plant Spring-Flowering Bulbs
• Bring Houseplants Indoors
• Dry Flowers

Getting these tasks done is a great way to make sure you can take stock of everything your garden has gone through this last growing season. This is also a great time to update any gardening journals or to sit down and map out what worked or what didn’t. Then over the winter as you create your seed order and map out, you can use these notes to reflect on what might work out better depending on you needs and wants.