Learn herbaceous perennial care that may be different from the norm in this quick DIY Garden Minute podcast.
Fall and winter garden clean up usually consists of raking leaves and generally tidying up your yard. Herbaceous perennial care is also at the top of the list.
But, what if we told you it doesn’t have to be this way anymore?
By choosing to adopt a more “natural” approach to your garden maintenance, you may save time and effort while helping wildlife at the same time.
This quick podcast will cover quick the difference between a “traditional” clean-up method vs. a more “natural” approach, and offer new clean up options for you to consider.
This episode is perfect for a beginning gardener or new homeowner who wants to learn useful tips about caring for your garden in the fall and winter months.
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Herbaceous Perennial Clean-Up
Herbaceous perennial plants need to be cut back each fall and winter in order to prepare them for the next season’s growth. Or, do they?
You can either cut them back as usual (traditional way) or leave them alone until the following spring (the natural way).
With advantages and disadvantages to both traditional vs. natural approaches, it is your choice if you want to cut everything back or leave it alone.
Many gardeners are choosing to leave everything “as is” until the following spring.
Advantages to the “natural” approach to perennial clean-up:
- Can provide a natural mulch.
- Stems and leaves can protect the crown of plants.
- Stems, leaves, and flowers will break down and add to the surrounding soil.
- Provides insect and small animal habitats.
Listen to this podcast to learn more!
Plant Care Supplies
When you are ready to attack your plants and cut them back (in whatever season you choose), make sure you are using the best tools for the job.
You will need a good, sturdy pair of pruning shears and these are the best in our opinion
These would be perfect for deadheading, snipping, or other general light pruning tasks. We use ours all the time!
Gardening gloves are a must for any gardener in order to protect their hands and handle rough materials. We love these Bellingham Bamboo Gloves because they are super tough, snag-resistant, and puncture-resistant. Perfect for a beginning gardener.
Bamboo fiber is an awesome, sustainable material because bamboo trees are one of the fastest-growing woody plants. Plus, these gloves are machine-washable making them even more sustainable (they just need to be hung dry).
We love these garden gloves and think you will too!
Plant Care Books
If you’re looking for further educational resources about all types of perennials, these books below are great educational references!
The first book is our new eBook which we’re so excited to show you! The two books below that can be found on Amazon at the links below.
Four-Season Gardening
If you want to create a four-season garden featuring specific, beautiful plants that bloom during specific seasons, look no further than our new book!
In Four-Season Gardening, we’ll teach you plant care tips for 15 seasonal plants and seasonal gardening tricks that could be the difference between a thriving garden and a ho-hum garden. Check it out!
American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers
This is a great reference guide for tons of plants from the American Horticultural Society.
Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden: Grow, Harvest, and Arrange Stunning Seasonal Blooms
This book has stunning images, how-tos, and planting information to grow your own cutting garden.
Conclusion for herbaceous perennials
Whether you choose to clean up your garden in a more traditional way or more natural, either method of garden clean up is just fine.
There is no right or wrong way for you to proceed. You can pick whichever way makes the most sense to you.
Now we want to hear from you!
What other questions do you have about your fall or winter clean up? Let us know by leaving a quick comment below. Thanks!
That’s all for this DIY garden minute episode!
You can find other one-minute topics on our podcast page at spokengarden.com/podcast
Find us on Instagram or Pinterest to follow or leave us a comment. We would love to hear from you!
Also, find us on your favorite podcast platform and Alexa through MyPod or AnyPod.
And hey—before you head out—if you want to connect with us and subscribe to our newsletter go to our free resource page!
We have FREE garden content we are so excited to give to you, like cheat sheets, plant profile sheets, etc!
Thanks for Listening!!!
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Learn herbaceous perennial care that may be different from the norm in this quick DIY Garden Minute podcast.
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Today’s Topic:
Herbaceous Perennial Plants
In this podcast, you’ll learn about how to care for your plants this fall and winter, and what you might not need to do.
Downloads:
Free Fall Gardening chapter from our ebook, “Four-Season Gardening”.
What You’ll Learn:
- The quick difference between traditional vs. natural gardening.
- Why it is okay to leave your garden clean-up for spring.
- Links for further resources or education throughout the post.
Resources:
Some of the resources and products below may be affiliate links, meaning we might get paid a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you use that link to make a purchase.
- “How to Mulch Anytime of Year” Free Mulching Resource
- Should I Remove Old Mulch (Before Adding More)? – DIY Garden Minute Ep. 81
- 7 Types of Mulch and When to Use Them – DIY Garden Minute Ep. 75
- How to Mulch: 6 Basic Steps for Mulching Anytime of Year
- Pine Needle Mulch Benefits – DIY Garden Minute Ep. 62
