Yard Tips - Winter Maintenance

 The leaves have changed color and have fallen to the ground. Now is the time to do your fall clean up. This includes racking the leaves from your lawn and planter areas as well as the base of all shrubs and trees. It is also time to cut back your herbaceous perennials.  Herbaceous perennials, in simple terms are the perennials that have soft green tissue and will die back down to the ground in the winter. These include Daylilies, Peonies, Hostas and other plants, which do not have a woody structure. Fall is the best time to take out your garden shears and cut them way back.

You can wait until early spring to cut back woody perennials and shrubs, but make sure you don't wait too long or you might damage the new growth. Ornamental grasses can also be trimmed in the fall or left until spring. It is safe to cut them back now if you want, but you will be looking at short stubs for 4-5 months! If you leave ornamental grasses until spring they will provide a nice structure and texture thru the winter months. Besides raking the leaves the fall clean up is pretty minimal, you can save the majority of pruning until spring if you prefer. Then you can get out there and enjoy the holidays!!