The end of the 2013 CT landscaping season is here.  Below are some tips to prepare your home and landscape for winter.

In the Landscape

1. Cut back perennials to prevent the overwintering of insects and disease.  Cut most perennials to the ground.  Some perennials, such as coral bells, should not.  It’s better to post a question below than to cut prematurely.
2. Cut ornamental grasses 3-6 inches from the ground either now or in late winter.  Here in CT I cut ornamental grasses in the fall, they tend to get beat up and look ratty through the winter.
3. If you have tree hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata)  it’s OK to prune them once the leaves fall off.  Tree hydrangeas flower on the current seasons growth.  They will bloom next year if pruned this winter.  If you have bigleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) only cut spent flowers to clean up the shrub, otherwise you’ll be removing next years blooms.

Household Maintenance

1. Turn off the valves to your hoses on the inside of the house and then open the valves on the outside to drain water.  Once the water drains close them again to prevent accidentally running water all winter if someone turns the wrong valve.  Disconnect and roll up your hoses on a warm day to flush all water from them.  Bring hoses indoors for longest life.  You can keep them coiled, without water inside, outside your home or in the shed or garage over the winter.  If you use the hose over the winter disconnect it and remove all water before coiling it up again.
2. Is your snow blower tuned up and ready to go?  Do you need to replace any snow shovels before they are all gone?
3. Have you called the oil company about your winter tune-up?

Might I Recommend

1. Winter is a great time to prune deciduous trees and shrubs in CT landscapes.  If your landscape needs pruning call today!
2. Now is the time to begin planning your landscape design if you are thinking about landscaping next year. Spring comes fast.  Now is the time to start the design.
3. Need firewood?  We have a limited supply available so don’t wait to call.

If you have any questions about your CT Landscape please post them below.

By John Holden