Keep your perennials coming back year after year with these easy tips.
Southern Living/Adrienne Legault
Once temperatures start dancing around freezing, it’s time to prepare yourperennialsfor the winter season.
A little bit of extra love now will pay off before you know it.
Credit:Southern Living/Adrienne Legault
Here are the four things every Southerner should do to prepare perennials for winter.
Assess Your Plants
Each perennial in your garden may have unique needs to withstand the colder months.
Now is also a great time to evaluate your gardens performance.
Examine each plantdid it thrive, or did it struggle?
Identifying any issues now can help you set them up for success next year.
Water Plants Well
Your perennials will need a deep watering before the temperatures drop too low.
Repeat this for every plant in your garden.
Clean Up Foliage
Remove any damaged or infested parts of your plants.
Some perennials that benefit from pruning include bee balm, Shasta daisies, phlox, coreopsis, and catmint.
Perennials that are flourishing in your garden can remain tall.
The foliage and stem system provide extra insulation and can help hold water in the winter months.
Consider Mulch
Not all perennials requiremulchto make it through winter.
In some cases, it can do more harm than good by trapping moisture and causing rot.
