Winterizing your Garden Properly

It’s official, Autumn has set in and it’s time to start winterizing your garden. Leaves are starting to fall, temperatures are dropping, it’s pumpkin spice everything, and your garden is definitely starting to look more orange than green. The end of October is the time of year where we begin to clean up this past year’s garden and plant for next year. But November is really when we put the garden to sleep for the winter.

Gardening in Late Autumn

Falling Leaves

Cleaning up fallen leaves is important for the health of your lawn and your garden. Although it’s very therapeutic to hear leaves crunch under your feet, it’s best to get them up off your lawn as soon as possible. Letting leaves to rot on your lawn can cause the grass to die underneath. Dead leaves can smother areas of your lawn and cause issues in the spring.

There are two ways of sustainably getting rid of your leaves. One way to get rid of those leaves is to set up a leaf compost in your yard. That way you’ll be rewarded with a rich and fertile compost for next year’s garden. If you live in Denver, you can drop off your leaves for free at the LeafDrop. LeafDrop is a seasonal program offered by Denver Recycles that turns leaves into compost. The final compost product is made available at a discounted price to Denver residents at the Mulch Giveaway & Compost Sale each May.

Mulching, Mulching and Mulching

Putting a fresh layer of mulch over your garden bed will help your yard look cleaner and will aid in keeping as much moisture in the ground as possible. Don’t remove the old mulch, it contributes to adding nutrients to the ground as it decomposes. When we get those warm winter days in Colorado, make sure to check the mulch and replace it as needed.

Pruning

One common misconception about fall garden cleanup is that it’s necessary to prune your trees and those shrubs that bloom in late summer and fall. DO NOT PRUNE THESE PLANTS DURING THIS TIME OF YEAR. Cutting away the dying bits of your trees and late-blooming shrubs will not allow them to go dormant for the wintertime. Instead, they’ll think that they need to be sending vitamins and water to the ends which have been cut. Pruning and cutting back is very important but when it comes to the those plants, it must wait until later in the winter or very early spring. However, now is the time to prune back perennials and spring-blooming shrubs. 

Decorating Indoors & Out for the Autumn Holidays

When you think of fall décor, the staples come to mind. Indian corn, pumpkins galore, and prairie grasses. Year after year these beautiful go-to ideas bring the warmth and color of autumn into your home and porches. But what about trying something new?

Try out cold-hardy plants like ornamental kale, peppers, purple cabbage, and a few varieties of lettuce. These can all be beautiful additions to your garden or patio pots. They add diversity to your fall foliage and decoration. Plant them into a patio or indoor pot with some pansies and ornamental grass for a lovely autumn display.

Food for Thought

Autumn is the time for pumpkins, squashes, and apples. Root vegetables and warm spices are also on the menu. Whether you prefer hot apple cider or a pumpkin spice latte you can’t deny the comfort that these foods bring when the weather turns cooler.

One of our favorite recipes is this Slow-Cooker Butternut Squash Soup.

• Medium size Butternut squash
• 1 carrot
• Yellow onion
• 1 Granny Smith apple
• 2 cup of vegetable broth
• 1 sprig of fresh sage
• 1/4 tsp of ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup of coconut milk
• Salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste

1. Dice up the squash, carrots, apple, and onion into medium-sized chunks.
2. Add diced veggies to a crockpot along with the vegetable broth, a sprig of sage, and 1/4 tsp of nutmeg.
3. Cook for 6-8 hours on low or until butternut squash is tender.
4. Remove the sage and add coconut milk.
5. Blend with an immersion blender to puree.
6. Serve in bowls and season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Enjoy!

What do you do to winterize your garden every year? Share with us on Instagram or Facebook and tag @cityfloralgardencenter or in the comments below!