Garden Series: How to Winterize and Protect Your Garden TIP 5
- Shidonna Raven
- Oct 4
- 2 min read
April 7, 2025
Source: Almanac
Photo Source: Unsplash,
5. Prepare Perennials for Winter
Water your perennial flowers and flowering shrubs in the fall; they will thank you for it this winter.
Many perennials can be left to be cut back in the spring, especially those with bountiful seedheads such as coneflowers or rudbeckia, as the birds will enjoy their seeds through winter. However, there are some perennials that are best cut back to avoid spreading diseases—such as powdery mildew—especially bee balm, phlox, and hostas. See which perennials to cut back. When cutting back, wait until the ground has frozen hard and the foliage has died. Leave about 3 inches of stem and mulch them with a thick layer of leaves or straw.
If you plan to put in a new flower bed next spring, cover that area now with mulch or heavy plastic to discourage emergent weed growth when the ground warms up in the spring. If the new bed is going where a lawn is now, mow the grass in that area down as much as possible before covering it.
Before a heavy snowfall, cover pachysandra with a mulch of pine needles several inches deep.
Move potted chrysanthemums to a sheltered spot when their flowers fade. Water well and cover with a thick layer of straw to overwinter them.
When a frost blackens the dahlias, gladioli, and cannas leaves, carefully dig them up and let them dry indoors on newspaper for a few days. Then pack them in styrofoam peanuts, dry peat moss, or shredded newspaper and store in a dark, humid spot at 40° to 50°F (5° to 10°C) until spring.
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