It is early October as I write this, and my mind is on fall yardwork. Each autumn I ponder how much I need to do, and what will happen if I don't do it. Some years I do a lot, and other years I don't, due to lack of time, bad weather, or just plain laziness. And I wonder just what everyone else does.

Here is what my research turned up:

"Perennials should not be cut right back to the ground in fall. I usually leave either the whole stalk or a minimum of 8in/20 cm of stalk, which adds extra protection by catching the snow and holding it. It also creates interesting winter shapes. Astilbes, sedums such as 'Autumn Joy', ligularias and hydrangeas left intact have ornamental seedheads that are interesting all winter." (Marjorie Harris, Favourite Garden Tips)

"Fall Care of Perennials ... Prune plants with thick stems to about 25cm (10 inches). This height will help to catch the snow, which as you know acts as a mulch. Don't be too quick with the cutting, though. You might want to leave some taller stalks as perches for the birds that will visit your garden in the winter, or just for the look of the dried foliage and seed heads against the snow. Plants with softer stems and leaves can be cut down almost to the ground. Any plant that still has green leaves may well be evergreen, so leave it for the winter to provide a bit more colour. ... If you live where a January thaw or chinook weather is likely, make sure you protect your plants with a good mulch such as straw or wood chips when the ground has frozen - perhaps not until next month [November]." (Mark Cullen, The All Seasons Gardener)

"Garden Clean-up ... In the vegetable garden, remove all plant material that has finished producing, as well as all weeds. ... Gather all plant stakes, cleaning off any soil that adheres, tie them and store. ... After the frost few frosts, mound soil up around rose bushes to a height of about 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 inches)." (Mark Cullen, The All Seasons Gardener)

"Winter Mulching Most hardy perennials like a winter mulch, although many gardeners who don't take the trouble still have success. A winter mulch prevents the alternate freezing and thawing of the soil which causes your plants to heave. Young or newly set plants are more likely to be affected. Protect these with a loose mulch of hay, straw, or evergreen branches applied right around the time of freezing weather. Avoid mulches such as leaves which pack tightly, since they are likely to smother the plants." (Doc & Katy Abraham, The Green Thumb Garden Handbook)

"Pruning and Trimming Perennials ... When fall comes, tops are best cut and burned or sealed in plastic bags and discarded, since many insect and disease pests may harbor over winter in them." (Doc & Katy Abraham, The Green Thumb Garden Handbook)

To all this, I would like to add a few items that I've found to be important to me. One is to check out the state of the composter. If it is pretty full, be sure to remove whatever finished compost there is to make room for adding kitchen scraps and house-plant debris over the winter. The compost doesn't break down in the cold weather, and so it's worth it to make room for a winter's worth of additions. Another is to lift out any annuals that you want to winter over in the house, such as geraniums (Pelargonium spp.), or impatiens. And don't forget to plant some bulbs outside, for fabulous spring colour. If you have problems with squirrels digging them up, you could try what a relative of mine does - she plants them in December, just before the ground freezes.

And the best bit of advice I came across during the research for this question:

"Yet with all the beauty autumn brings to the garden, it demands surprisingly little of the gardener. After all, the tyrannies of weeding, staking and dead-heading have little merit in October. And even in the gentle chaos that befalls dahlias, tomatoes and other summer plants past their prime, the fall garden seems to be saying, 'Stop for a moment and enjoy me. While you can.'" (Janet Davis, "Autumn Glory", Canadian Gardening, October/November 1997)

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