Perennials – some you cut, some you leave standing

It’s that time of year when gardeners begin to question their gardening choices: What do I leave over the winter and what do I cut down now? It seems to us that a guideline is needed; something to help you make intelligent garden decisions so you can say definitively, “this is getting its head cut off and this one will stand for the winter.”

So here it is, a simple guide to “cut down or not:”

Leave it standing if:

• It has matured seed heads as birds will forage on the seeds throughout the winter
• It has a rigid stem that is unlikely to be blown over in the blustery winter winds (yes to rudbeckia, no to hosta)
• It is an ornamental grass (such as Calamagrostis or Miscanthus)

Cut it back now if:

• The foliage is floppy, yellow or black, and looks unattractive in your fall garden – such as peonies, daylilies and hostas (throwing everything into the composter, of course)
• You don’t like the look of it – remember, it’s your garden, so feel free to compost anything that you do not want to look at, poking through the snow, all winter
• The seed heads have been ravaged by the birds and there are no seeds left (Echinacea, most likely)

In our gardens, we tend to follow these rules, but we also tend to make on-the-spot decisions based solely on the situation. Mark cut back all the Shasta Daisies (to about five cm). Shastas tend to turn yellow or brown and get a bit slimy after the first few frosts. We find it easier to clean them up before it gets to this point.

Truth is, there is no harm in cutting herbaceous perennials back to the ground or leaving them standing. It’s a personal preference: We like some left upright for the winter to add a little interest to the otherwise dreary winter garden. Mounds of snow will form on top of the Echinacea seed heads and within the nooks and crannies of the tall grasses. Yes, eventually, if we get enough snow, many of the stalks will be buried within the white clutches of winter’s wrath. Until then, we’ll be glad to enjoy the contrast brought about by the remaining stems nestled within the snow.

Right now, you may not be thinking of this as “interesting” or “attractive,” but remember just how desperate we Canadians become when winter has overstayed its welcome. Believe us, we are the people who escape from the indoors at the first sign of spring to hose down the driveway while there is still snow covering the gardens. And we’re likely wearing t-shirts for the occasion.

Regarding all those fall leaves: Rake them off your lawn and onto your garden, where earthworms will pull them down into the soil next spring and convert them into nitrogen rich earthworm castings. Oak leave break down slowly, so run your lawn mower over them, set at its highest setting, before raking them onto your garden. Remember to fertilize your lawn this time of year also: The most important application of the year.

And if you’re not into fall clean up, that’s okay, too; for the most part, Mother Nature takes care of things and the big clean up, for you, will be in the spring. Just remember to take good care of garden equipment and tools by lubricating them and storing away carefully out of the winter elements.