Fall garden tasks don’t need to be complicated.

For many, November brings to mind images of a Thanksgiving meal with family and friends. Good cooks know that it takes careful preparation for your turkey and pumpkin pie to turn out just right; good gardeners know that it takes preparation for your spring garden to turn out just right as well.

The cold weather simply means it’s time to shift your thinking from creating a garden to preserving your garden. Your focus during this time of year should be on protecting and preparing your garden for next spring:

1. Continue watering newly planted plants until dormancy (leaves have fallen or plant has died back to the ground) to help encourage root development. Before a frost or freeze, drain and roll your hoses so water doesn’t freeze in them. Store hoses somewhere dry.
2. Pull weeds one last time before winter weather sets in.
3. Clean up leaves. Rake your yard once at the end of the month or several times throughout the month, depending on how you want to divide up the work. Check your home’s gutters for leaves and twigs as well.
4. Use chopped leaves or grass clippings to mulch your garden.
5. Now is a good time to prune. Once all their leaves have fallen, it is safe to prune fruit and flowering trees. This is also a good time to trim evergreens.
6. Perennial bulbs do well if planted before the ground has frozen. Try daffodil, tulip or hyacinth bulbs to give your yard colorful flowers next spring.

Let the late-fall sunshine motivate you to get out in your yard and take a few simple steps to make life easier for yourself next spring.

If you have any questions about preparing your yard for the spring, just stop by Meadow View and ask our garden center experts.

- Scott