Earth is here so kind, that just tickle her with a hoe and she laughs with a harvest. - Douglas Jerrold

It took only a couple of cold days in August to get me thinking about putting the garden to bed. On the Palouse winter can descend quickly and put plants at risk so it behooves us to get to work. Garden cleanup done before it gets really cold or wet is also more pleasant for the gardener. In addition to preparing plants for the freezing weather, fall cleanup is valuable for controlling diseases and reducing insect pests.

From the outset let me tell you that plants in my garden have to perform without coddling. Although I like to try plants that are marginal in our zone I don’t go to any extra trouble to winter them over. I do have a warm spot in my garden and put tender plants there, but otherwise they have to carry their own weight. And so, making teepee structures around roses or stacking straw 12” deep is not something I do.

My primary interest is in perennials, those hardy workhorses of the garden. Although many garden writers recommend trimming up perennials in the fall I generally prefer to leave most of that until early spring. I just remove damaged stalks and trim the rest down a few inches, and dispose of any fallen leaves. I get so much enjoyment through observing the winter frosts and snows on the dead stalks, and it provides a marker for their location. Come early spring, as soon as I see a bit of growth, I cut all of the previous year’s growth down to the ground. I do divide perennials in the fall and replant in areas where I want them thicker or share them with gardening friends.

So on to your chores this month in the flower garden:
Prune lightly, or trim, and neaten all plants and shrubs. Discard any diseased plants and leaves. Put only healthy trimmings in the compost pile. When removing faded and leggy annuals shake the seed pods into the garden where you want them to return in the spring. I also use this method with tender perennials which I grow as annuals, such as Verbena bonariensis, Brazilian verbena.

With roses, neaten up the plant by doing a light pruning. All leaves should be removed from around the plant and put in the garbage. The plants should now be forming rose hips, which signal the plant to shut down for winter. Leave the hips on for winter interest, and for the birds.

Rake leaves.

Spread an inch or so of compost over the garden beds and then place a generous layer (2-3” deep) of mulch such as shredded leaves or straw. Mulch helps moderate the soil temperature during freezing and thawing episodes. Do not pile the mulch around the trunks of trees and do not use it where mice are present (they love it!).

Dig and store any tender bulbs you may have planted.

Plant spring blooming bulbs: tulips, daffodils, crocuses and others.

Clean, repair and sharpen garden tools. A great tool storage idea is to put sand in a large bucket or barrel, pour some used motor oil in and place the cleaned shovels and tools in it. They stay cleaner, sharper and do not rust.

Rake leaves.

Scrub and put away bird baths, open up and clean out birdhouses. After cleaning, rinse with a bleach solution.

If you are looking for plants and trees with beautiful fall color this is a good time to wander through nurseries and make a selection.

In the fruit and vegetable garden:
Before the first forecasted freeze, pick all remaining tomatoes from the vines and bring into a sheltered, frost-free place. Pick other cold sensitive produce and then remove the plants. If the plants are not diseased put them in the compost pile or till them right back into the garden plot.

Do any necessary repairs to trellises or other structures that plants and vines grow upon.

Rake and remove from the area all leaves and downed fruit from fruit trees to prevent the overwintering of insect pests.

Rake leaves.

Holly Barnes enjoys putting the garden to bed each fall and then helps her husband, The Sailing Guy, get his small sailboats dismantled and stored away as well.