Marlies Plaggenborg is a lifelong gardener, 25-year resident of Ashland, co-founder of the Ashland Garden Club and owner of a Garden Design company in the Metrowest area. She says, “One of my goals is to have something in bloom or of interest in our gardens year round. I’ll be sharing these treasures with you as the season progresses. Happy Gardening! ”

November

Putting Your Perennial Gardens to Bed

It's almost winter and we've had frosts, so it’s time to pull out the annuals and tidy up the garden. If you haven't done so already, there still is time to "tuck your garden in" for the winter.

There are pros and cons to cutting back the herbaceous growth the perennials pushed up this season. If you cut it back, you won’t have a place for insects to overwinter. I've spotted an occasional chrysalis and wouldn't want to disturb a monarch in the make, plus there is at least some organic matter above the ground, giving a little winter interest.

Conversely, cutting everything back makes for a much neater look and it is then easier to clean up the leaves. If you have moles, voles or mice, keeping things neater will make it easier for the hawk and the owl to hunt these rodents down. I've often cut back a large Hosta in the fall and was amazed to see a significant network of tunnels hidden under the copious leaves.

Another reason for cutting back growth now is that I seem to have more time in the fall than in the spring. Springtime is for planting! So I cut back all the Peonia, Baptisia, Rudbeckia, and Digitalis, but leave standing the ornamental grasses, the Sedum Autumn Joy, and the Cimicifuga if it is still in bloom.

In your garden there are no rules. I figure though, what's done is done and if I should spot an insect of interest I'll relocate it while doing my fall clean up.

Once things are tidy and you still have time and energy, then would be the time to spread a nice layer of compost or any other mulch over your garden. The compost or mulch has the whole winter to soak down into the soil and will keep things a tad warmer during the freeze and thaw period as well as keeping future weeds to a minimum.

October

This month the American Winterberry shines. The botanical name is Ilex verticillata and many cultivars are sold. It is a deciduous holly, so by November it has lost its leaves and the red berries are eye-catching. It is native to the eastern U.S. preferring moist areas where it forms thickets. In drier gardens, however, it remains a solitary shrub reaching 8 feet and with a nice compact form. Even with our dry summer and water ban it has not suffered and is full with berries. The birds leave them alone until January providing nice decorative branches for the holidays.

Nice cultivars are Winter Red, Red Sprite, Winter Gold and Sparkleberry. If you have a sunny spot, plant this shrub – no garden should be without it!