Seasonal Care of the Garden
Shrubs
Remove as many leaves from rose bushes as possible, pick up from ground, & discard.
Mound soil around base of graft union on hybrid tea roses.
Wait to mulch with leaves & straw until ground is deeply frozen.
Protect broad-leaved evergreens with anti-desiccant spray.
Apply when air temperature is above freezing & will remain there until spray is dry.
Mark calendar as a reminder to re-apply during January thaw.
Protect borderline hardy shrubs such as lavender & English boxwood with a light airy mulch of salt hay or evergreen boughs.
If rainfall is lacking keep watering shrubs until ground freezes, especially evergreens & any newly planted shrubs or trees.
When snow comes, clear evergreens of heavy accumulations before it has a chance to freeze to a solid icy mass.
Perennials
Mulch perennials with composted wood chips, chopped oak leaves, or pine boughs late in November
or in December. Wait until after the ground is frozen to do so.
Continue raking leaves from herbaceous borders & lawns, adding to compost heap.
Prune raspberries, climbing roses, & other plants with long, whippy canes
Bulbs
Finish planting bulbs Start paper white daffodils in pebbles & water, pot amaryllis for holiday bloom
Lawn
Keep raking leaves. Oaks seemingly hold their leaves until you rake, then discard some more. Add them to compost heap.
Miscellaneous Tasks
Place wire guards around trunks of young fruit trees to protect the bark from mice & rabbits
Make sure the mulch is a few inches away from tree trunks and stems of shrubs to protect the bark from mice & rabbits
Drain water pipes & outdoor faucets before hard frosts. Store garden hoses where they will not freeze.
Bring soil, sand, & peat moss indoors for use in re-potting house plants & seed sowing
Straighten out tool shed. Clean & sharpen trowels, hoes, & shovels
Discard old seed packets
Indoors, rReduce watering & stop feeding house plants