Wondering which perennials to cut back in fall—and which ones are better left standing? Here’s a practical guide to cleaning up daylilies, hostas, peonies, irises and more while leaving beneficial winter interest behind.
Once the first few hard frosts arrive, my perennial garden starts looking a little less like the garden I enjoyed all summer and a little more like… well, a garden that has officially given up for the year. 😂
Leaves turn yellow, stems flop over, and suddenly I’m standing outside with pruning shears wondering:
Do I cut all of this down?
Continue reading “How to Cut Back Perennials in Fall: What to Cut and What to Leave Standing”Get your raised garden beds ready for a long northern winter with simple tips for fall cleanup, improving soil, protecting your beds, and making spring gardening easier.
By the end of a short northern growing season, the garden can look a little… tired.
Plants are past their prime, weeds have somehow found one last burst of energy, and after spending all summer watering, weeding, harvesting, and trying to keep everything alive, it’s tempting to simply walk away and let the snow take care of it.
And technically, the snow will cover everything eventually. 😂
But spending a little time preparing your raised beds for winter can protect your soil, make spring cleanup easier, and give next year’s garden a much better start.
Continue reading “How to Prepare Raised Garden Beds for Winter in a Cold Climate”Learn how to prepare your perennial garden for a long northern winter with simple tips for fall cleanup, watering, mulching, dividing plants, and protecting your garden until spring.
By late fall, a northern perennial garden can look a little alarming.
The flowers are gone. Leaves are turning brown. Plants that were enormous a few weeks ago are suddenly collapsing onto the ground.
After spending all summer taking care of them, it’s easy to look at the garden and think:
Well. That doesn’t look promising.
Continue reading “How to Prepare Your Perennial Garden for Winter in a Cold Climate”Growing raspberries in a cold climate is easier than you might think! Learn how to choose hardy varieties, support and prune your plants, keep your patch healthy, and prepare raspberries for a long northern winter.
Raspberries are one of those plants that make cold-climate gardening feel a little more rewarding. With the right varieties and a little care, they can handle surprisingly cold winters and come back year after year.
The good news? Raspberries don’t need a perfectly manicured garden to thrive. Give them plenty of sun, good soil, consistent moisture, and a little support, and they’ll do much of the growing on their own.
Here are some simple ways to help a raspberry patch thrive in a northern garden.
Continue reading “How to Grow Raspberries in a Cold Climate: A Simple Guide for Northern Gardens”
