Preparing Your Garden for the winter

Your garden has been beautiful and bountiful all summer, and the last vegetables are now being placed on your table or into your freezer. To recreate or add to this splendour, the time has come to prepare your garden for the winter. As you collect the last of your harvest, pull all vegetation from your garden. This can be added to your compost pile, but make sure that it does not contain any seeds. Collect the leaves as they fall, to also add to your compost pile.

 After the vegetation is pulled, I like to lightly till the soil. This allows me to break up any roots and reduces to new growth of weeds in the spring. Till in organic compost, to create a richer soil. Cover the area with an additional layer of compost. Clean all of your gardening tools. After cleaning them, wipe a light coat of oil on them to preserve them and to prevent rust. Clean all your pots and other containers with warm sudsy water. Rinse and dry them well before storing them. Clean any type of fountain or water feature that you may have. Drain and store it according to its directions. Make sure that your garden hoses are drained and detached from the outdoor spigots. You don't want to have to replace either the hose or the spigot in the spring due to it freezing and bursting. Get comfortable, pull out the seed catalogues, and get ready for spring.