Six Less-Is-More Ways To Prepare Your Garden For Winter

Come fall, even the most devoted gardeners often feel ready for a little hibernation. But, luckily, in winter garden prep, doing less can have big benefits for the garden itself and the local ecosystem.

“Fall is the time to take a break, slow down a bit and go with the season,” says Chris Chung, owner of Vancouver-based Fluent Garden and author of The Layered Edible Garden, a guide to growing food in plant communities where the plants you grow support each other.

In the spirit of chilling out as the temperatures drop, here are six less-is-more strategies for a healthier garden next spring.  

Leave the leaves 

Among ecologically minded gardeners, raking is out. Instead, leaving the leaves on the ground provides overwintering habitat for pollinators, insulates soil against temperature fluctuations and offers a source of nutrients in spring. But there are a few caveats. For example, Chung notes that you’ll want to clear entryways, walkways and gutters for safety. And if you prefer to clear leaves from main lawn areas, that’s okay: gently rake them onto your garden beds or into a pile where they can remain undisturbed until temperatures warm in late springtime. 

Mulch your soil 

Mulch (organic material that will slowly break down on top of the soil) is one of the secrets to a healthy, resilient garden. 

“A lot of gardeners forget to protect the soil,” says Chung. “We think about protecting plants, but soil itself is full of beneficial living things—not just the little creepy crawlies, but a lot of the things that we can’t see.”

Many gardeners buy mulch, but in autumn nature offers it up for free. “Nothing breaks down as nicely as leaves,” notes Chung. “And then if it breaks down in place, all of that good stuff goes back into the soil and boosts the organic matter.” 

Simply cover garden beds with a loose layer of leaves two to three inches deep. If you can’t get that many leaves, Chung recommends plain corrugated cardboard, which can sit on top of the soil or whatever leaves you find for extra insulation.  

In spring, gently move the mulch to the side for direct seeding or planting. 

Native plants like coneflowers can be a source of food for birds in winter. (Photo: iStock)

Cut back annuals—but leave perennials standing 

Most annuals, like vegetables, can be cut down to the ground, but rather than cutting back stalks and seed heads on perennials, leave them be. Their structures not only provide visual interest, but seedheads, especially those of native plants like coneflowers and hyssop, can be a source of food for birds in winter—and these avian visitors also help bring the winter garden to life. (If some plants are getting too floppy and need cutting back, leave six inches to a foot of stem standing, which can be a habitat for pollinators such as mason bees.) 

This might mean things look a little less tidy, but Chung prefers to frame it as embracing a new aesthetic. “It's finding beauty year-round, not just when things are in colourful blooms. Why not leave things that are robust and interesting? Nothing’s prettier than a little bit of reflected golden sunlight on a seed head encrusted with ice crystals.”

Protect tender plants 

With climate change leading to increasingly more unpredictable weather, it’s more important than ever to know your plant hardiness zone and which plants could be felled by a cold snap. “Look up the plant—sometimes each variety or even cultivar has slightly different temperature tolerance,” cautions Chung. (Also be sure you’re looking at Canadian hardiness zones—the U.S. Department of Agriculture system is slightly different.) 

She recommends being prepared with materials, such as burlap, to cover tender plants before a cold front moves in. 

Make notes for next year 

Fall is a great time to take stock. “Observe and make notes so that you can plan for next year,” says Chung. “What went well? What thrived through the heat? Which plants didn’t need as much water? Maybe those are the ones that we can incorporate more into the garden. Let’s make these sorts of easier choices so that we don’t feel bad if something fails.”

Alliums—like these chive flowers—are excellent to plant in the fall. (Photo: iStock)

Plant garlic and spring bulbs

With the long winter still ahead, do your future self a favour and plant some set-it-and-forget-it bulbs for a shock of colour and joy come springtime. As long as the ground isn’t frozen, you can still plant crocuses, daffodils, tulips, alliums and more. 

If you have a problem with squirrels relocating your carefully planted bulbs, focus on planting daffodils and alliums, which squirrels are more likely to leave alone, and cover your plantings with a thick layer of mulch. Fall is also a great time to plant native perennials—many need the freeze and thaw cycle to germinate.

If you love growing edibles, garlic is an incredibly easy and low maintenance food crop to plant in fall. Start with a head of organic garlic (preferably locally grown, so you know it thrives in your conditions) and break it into individual cloves leaving the papery skin still attached. Plant the cloves in a sunny spot, two to three inches deep and four to six inches apart, pointy ends up. (You can also tuck them throughout an existing ornamental bed.) By July those single cloves will turn into full heads.