Re: Winterizing

I know there are two schools of thought on winterizing the garden bed.  I 
have only tried one, or a combination of one.  I always rake up the fallen 
leaves from the trees above my beds.  They can be great hiding places for 
slugs and fungi or other diseases.  However, I have been leaving my plants 
"as is" more or less.  Most of them are still blooming in the fall and late 
fall, and I have been told that they can provide some protection/coverage 
against winter frosts.  They sometimes add winter interest and some even 
provide seed sources for birds.  Other than leaving the dormant plants be, I 
do clean up the bed around them.

An added benefit for me is that in the spring, when I am clearing away the 
debris from the base of the new growth, I can more easily identify what was 
what from the summer before.  (My markers get lost, fade, or were never done 
in the first place!)


>From: "Lynn Lamb" <lynnagl@mindspring.com>
>Reply-To: perennials@mallorn.com
>To: <perennials@mallorn.com>
>Subject: Winterizing
>Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 23:50:28 -0500
>
>Hello all,
>     Looks like we *might* have a winter after all here in my part of
>NC...temps starting to go down at night now after a very warm fall.  We 
>live
>in an old neighborhood filled with oak trees....my first question is, how 
>do
>most of you feel about leaving the leaves in the beds or do you remove all
>of them?  The leaves I have are oak and dogwood.  Also, do you go ahead and
>cut things down that are looking raggedy or just let them die all the way 
>to
>the ground by themselves?  I know everyone does their own garden their own
>way, but I always wonder every fall which is the right way to go?
>
>TIA,
>Lynn
>Zone 7b
>Belmont, NC
>
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