(Chelsea Update would like to thank Jennifer Fairfield, owner of The Garden Mill, for the information in this column. This is part two of a two parts.)
Tender bulbs
If you haven’t already, it’s time to dig up your dahlias, cannas, caladium, and glads. These tender perennials can’t survive our winters, so they need to be dug up and stored in a cool, dry place. The best way to store them is in something loose and lightweight, like Styrofoam “peanuts” or peat, in an attached garage or other cool spot. They should not be allowed to freeze – temps in the range of 35° to 50° F are good.
Ornamental grasses and perennials
I like to leave my ornamental grasses and other perennials up for the winter and cut them back in early spring, while others like to cut them back now. Either is OK, but leaving them up gives you some winter interest, and potentially gives wildlife a place to hide from the weather (I guess whether you cut back now or in spring might depend on how you feel about that last part.)
Leaves
The best things to do with fallen leaves are: 1. Mow them up and mulch them into your lawn or 2. Shred them (a mower works well for this) and use them for mulching your perennials and trees/shrubs or 3. Shred them and use them to create leaf mold.
Wait to plant spring-blooming bulbs
I would wait a bit yet to plant your spring-blooming bulbs – this includes garlic – since we haven’t had much frost, and it’s still pretty warm. The idea is to wait until we have had at least a couple of good frosts, but not to wait so long that the ground is frozen. You want the soil to be a bit warm to encourage root growth, but you don’t want it to be so warm (either the air or soil) that it encourages the plant to put out new growth. Be sure to give them a good covering of mulch when you do plant them.
Birds
If you are putting in new plants this fall and you also like to watch birds, why not think about plants that will attract more birds and more varieties of birds? Plants that provide seed or berries can attract some birds, while plants that attract beneficial insects will bring birds that feed on insects. Still other plants can provide shelter for birds – either as places for building nests out of the reach of predators or as places to stay warm and dry. So take a look around your yard and see where you might add some plantings for both you and the birds.
Bird feeders
Be sure to keep your feeders cleaned out. Birds don’t like moldy food any more than we do. Dirty feeders can also spread disease among birds. Conjunctivitis in finches appears to be on the rise again, and it has been tied to unsanitary feeding practices.
