Fall is such a beautiful season in the garden. At
least, the early fall is. But as the season goes on, things look a little tired, especially after a frost or two. And then, you are faced with trimming things back. Now that beautiful garden suddenly looks like a mountain of work. It's hard to know where to begin. Yet, you know it has to be done.
Does this sound familiar? My husband and I feel this way every year when it comes time to trim things back. But once we develop a plan, it becomes a little less intimidating.
1. Schedule
a day. Just knowing you are going to be working in the garden on a particular day helps. You can quit thinking about getting out there because now you know when you will do it.
2. Know what should and should not be pruned in the fall. For example, this may not the best time to
prune roses, as it may spur new growth, so you might wait until late winter or early spring. This may be different in various parts of the country. Your local extension office can provide guidance if you need it. So can regional gardening books and websites.
3. Treat yourself to a
new pair of pruners or shears, or get your old ones sharpened. New "toys" can
be motivating. But either way, you want to have your tools in good condition for the job ahead. 4. Plan to leave some plants unpruned for winter visual interest. Leaving some also can provide food and protection for birds and other small animals.
5. Don't prune so close to the ground that you don't know where things are.
6. Lay a
tarp or place a wheelbarrow or wagon near where you are working to put
trimmings in for the compost pile. 7. Decide where to start, and then start. Some gardeners begin at one end of the garden, working their way across and row by row. Others start in the middle (the part of the garden they see first when looking out the window) and work their way to
each side.
8. Don't overdo. I cannot stress this enough. If you work for eight hours and come in exhausted and sore, you will not be eager to return to the garden anytime soon. Set a stopping time or point; do not allow yourself to go over, even if you want to. Especially if you
want to. You will be more eager to get out there again on another day.
9. Enlist help. Can you draft your kids or hire a neighborhood teen to help? While turning them loose with pruners may not be safe, they can help with debris removal. If it is within your budget, consider hiring
someone to come in and do some or all of the work. Many people I know think it's money well spent.
As with any task, the hardest part is starting. Just remember, the endpoint will be worth it.
