by Kristin Havill | November 15, 2014
Autumn is a time to begin to let go of the garden.
After giving us a wonderous performance of color, fragrance, and texture, plants in our region go dormant to face the cold, wind, and darkness. The hardscape of yew hedges in the Bellamy-Ferriday formal parterre garden takes front stage as the quieter, less visible winter garden environment takes hold.
We help prepare for the emergence of healthy vigorous plants in the spring with late season clean up, pruning, and protection from wind and animals.
We deep water plants before the ground freezes, especially shrubs and our newly planted Yellowwood and Apples trees.
We also spray dormant oil on our rose bushes to kill any lingering insects or diseases that may hope to hibernate in these plants until spring. It is especially important to clean up leaves that may had black spot. However, leaving rose hips on your plants is beneficial, as it sends a signal to your plants that it is time to rest and go dormant.
This time of year, we remove leaves and other garden debris to discourage voles and other rodents from finding winter shelter near roots and grubs they depend on. Root systems continue to grow underground during the dormant months.
And in November, to protect our many yew hedges, we put up extensive deer fencing around the formal garden and other vulnerable plant areas. These fences will come down in April, when green shoots in the neighboring fields appear.
~ Kristin Havill
Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden
Bethlehem, CT
