GARDEN + GARDENING + GARDEN DESIGN + GARDENING TIPS & ADVICE

Now is the time to mulch that garden!  Don’t throw away your leaves!  Rake those leaves into your garden and let them sit over the winter months.  By spring you will have lots of good nutrients in the soil.  It would be a good idea to have already tilled the soil prior to putting down the leaves.  The soil will then be loose and allow the decaying leaves to sink down.  I would not use pine needles as they are very acidic.

Another tip for rose lovers:  Don’t do any heavy pruning until spring.  Usually there is some winter kill with rose bushes.  If you prune now, there may not be much left in the spring.  You may prune the spent flowers now, but that is all you should prune.