As winter approaches, gardeners everywhere start to count down the days until the new planting season begins. While you might be excited to browse through the seed catalog or brainstorm a new garden design, there are steps you should take heading into the winter months to ensure your spring planting goes off without a hitch. Not only will you continue to reap the health benefits of gardening well into the colder months but your buds and blooms will fare better in the spring if you get your garden ready for winter.
1. Clean up your perennials
If you grew any plants that are expected to return next year, make sure you’re preparing them for colder weather. Certain perennials should be cut back while others can remain to provide fertilizer, shelter for pollinators, and winter seeds for birds. Now is also the time to pull up annual plants as they won’t return next season, but you can put those organic annuals to good use by composting them.