Winter is coming my friends, and this is the time to get the garden ready for the chilly times ahead. In this discussion we will be touching on some of the techniques for putting the garden to bed for the winter. So put on your coat and gloves and let's take a walk in the garden. At this time of year we can feel the chill in the air and so can our plants. Many of our perennial plants require some sort of protection form this chill as well as from the bitter cold in coming months.
Plants slow down their metabolic rates in the cooler weather.
This behavior is similar to the hibernation that certain animals exhibit during cold weather. Keeping this in mind, it is good to figure out ways to make hibernation dens for your plants when cold weather sets in. This process is known by many terms, but the most common term for winter plant protection is mulching. Mulching can be accomplished with a number of protective materials including newspaper, fallen leaves, pine straw, hay, coarse compost, or plastic sheeting. There are also several pre-made products out on the market that are fitted to certain types of plants and are especially popular with rose growers wishing to protect their plants from the cold.