w Clean and oil tools after all cleanup is complete.
w Keep your pruners and a basket handy for work on a mild day.
w Recycle or return used pots, which have been accumulating all season, to
accepting nurseries.
w Rake leaves. Mow or shred to speed composting.PruninG
w Cut back perennials that are not desired over the winter or that harbor
insects and disease.
w Deadhead some of the heavy seeders, but leave some for the birds.
w Do not prune evergreens, mums, tender perennials, or anything with
attractive winter interest.DECEMBER
Enjoy the holidays. Ask for gardening gifts. (Buy this book for all your friends!)
Feed and watch the birds.PlantinG
w Only in our dreams!General Maintenance
w Mulch with old Christmas tree boughs once the ground has frozen.
PruninG
w On a mild day go out and prune some fallen plants to keep your
mind clear.JANUARY/FEBRUARY
Take vacations. Attend gardening conferences for inspiration. Design and plan
for the new year using all your notes. Relax and regroup. Start ordering plants
and seeds. Take some time on a mild day to go out and prune something to
relieve your cabin fever. Watch the perennials when the snow melts to see what
is happening. Keep track of temperatures, recording lows as well as temperature
fluctuations, to help understand overwintering results. Press in perennials that
may have frost heaved during times of thaw. Be sure your winter garden is what
you have in mind; now is the time to note changes. Keep your bird feeder full.
Remember that sunflower seed hulls can inhibit plant growth, and uneaten
sunflower seeds and other bird seeds can sprout in gardens in the spring,
creating a mess. Keep bird feeders out of the beds.