Landscaping - Gardening - Lawn Care

The joy of perennials is that they come back year after year. But without proper winter care, many perennials will not return in the spring.

You can save yourself money, time, and trouble by taking a few easy steps to protect your perennials. While most perennials are cut down for winter, many can be left up to enjoy the effect of their drying leaves. These include most ornamental grasses: Sedum 'Autumn Joy,' black-eyed Susan, false indigo, globe thistle, pinks, sea holly, and yucca, to name a few.

You'll need to choose your mulch carefully. Straw is effective and inexpensive, but tends to scatter seeds and greatly increases weeding chores come spring. Wood chips are excellent but can be expensive in the quantity needed. Pine needles are ideal, but tend to be available only in certain regions. Chopped autumn leaves are inexpensive and readily available just by running over them with your mower. However, they tend to blow away in strong winds.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

MATERIALS
Lightweight organic mulch, such as chopped autumn leaves, pine needles, wood chip mulch, or straw.

After the perennials have been felled by frost, cut them back to just a few inches (with the exception of perennials you want to leave for winter interest). Add any healthy plant material to the compost heap. Diseased foliage should be put in the trash.

Clean up any remaining plant debris. Old foliage tends to harbor plants and disease for the winter.

Apply 4 to 8 inches of a lightweight mulch. Simply spread with your hands, covering some plants completely if needed. You can avoid mulching plants that are very hardy in your area and cover those plants that are marginally hardy with a little extra mulch. In the spring, when the perennials start to send out new growth, gently rake away the winter mulch and add to the compost pile.

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