2017-10-01 Birds & Bloom

20 birdsandblooms.com OCTOBER (^) I NOVEMBER 2017
YARD SM ARTS
efore you put
your feet up
and settle in
for the garden off-season,
dedicate a few days to
getting your landscape
tucked in tight. Follow
these simple steps to tidy
up and prep your yard for
a long winter nap.
DAY ONE A.M.:
TRIM & TIDY
Divide your overgrown
perennials and cut
back the dead foliage on
others. Remove any spent
annuals and vegetables
from the garden—roots
and all—and add any
disease-free debris to
your compost pile. As
you yank out plants
and weeds, be mindful
of pests and diseases.
Double-bag and discard
diseased plants or foliage.
“Some diseases and
pests overwinter in plant
debris,” says Melinda
Myers, hor ticulture
expert. “Remove them in
fall to prevent infection
next year.”
But not everything in
your landscape needs
to go. “Leave healthy
perennials, such as purple
coneflowers, black-eyed
Susans, sunflowers and
grasses—they provide
habitat for beneficial
insects, food for birds and
interest for the winter
landscape,” Melinda says.
DAY ONE P.M.:
PROTECT & PLAN
Some plants and
containers struggle in
severe winter temps.
Bring pots and nonhardy
plants indoors or at least
B
LET TO RIGHT: GAP PHOTOS/JULIA BOULTON; JUDYWHITE/GARDENPHOTOS.COM
Put Your
Garden to Bed
For a healthy spring landscape, spend a fall
weekend winterizing your yard.BY CRYSTAL RENNICKE
Share divided
heirlooms with
friends if space
is tight in your
landscape.