7 Ways to Get Your Garden Ready for Winter

Nature Hills Nursery | February 14, 2026

As the temperature drops and the days grow shorter, the growing season for plants this year is beginning to wrap up. Plants are starting to go dormant and are preparing for winter. There is still time before the first freeze for you to prepare your garden for the winter months.

Figuring out the best way to get your garden ready for winter can be challenging especially for new gardeners. Not to worry though because we have come up with some great tips to point you in the right direction this fall. All the hard work that you put into your garden this fall will be rewarded when your garden becomes more beautiful than ever in the early spring!

7 Things to get your garden ready for Winter
1. Trim Diseased Perennials
2. Prepare the Roses
3. Trim and Wrap Trees
4. Continue Watering Your Evergreens
5. Time to Plant Spring Flowering Bulbs
6. Leave the Ornamental Grasses Alone
7. Houseplant Winter Care

7 Things to get your garden ready for Winter

1. Trim Diseased Perennials

After a long year of growing your perennials are going to need some care to prepare them for next year. Take a look at the leaves of your perennials and see if they have any leaf spots. If they do that means they have a disease. You will want to cut these plants to the ground in the fall and discard them to prevent powdery mildew or fungal diseases from overwintering with the debris.

Although it is nice to have some perennials in place for winter interest, if the plants were not clean it is a good idea to remove the diseased debris from re-infecting next year. This way your perennials will come back looking better than ever in the spring!

2. Prepare the Roses

When you’re getting your garden beds ready for the winter you don’t want to cut your roses down in the fall. Instead of cutting them in colder regions, wait for a few frosts for when the rose will go dormant. After the roses are dormant you will want to start to mound the rose with arborist wood chips.

You’ll start at the base of the rose by adding the wood chips. then you’ll want to try and make a nice pile about a foot high covering the rose to keep it nice and healthy through the winter months. Then in spring pull back the mulch and trim down the roses that bloom on new wood which will remove any broken or winter damage. Do not cut roses that bloom on last year’s wood until after they bloom in June.

3. Trim and Wrap Trees

When you are getting your trees ready for the winter, especially the younger ones, it is important to wrap the trees to protect them from rodents and deer. Wrapping the trunks with hardware cloth or metal screening from the soil up to the first set of branches will prevent vermin from chewing on that nice tender bark and prevent deer buck rubs.

Screening allows the water or snow to dry so the trunks do not stay wet. Avoid black plastic tile as it attracts heat on the trunks (white will reflect the heat).

4. Continue Watering Your Evergreens

Watering is very important for evergreens and broadleaved evergreens when preparing for the winter months. You will want to make sure you keep them watered well enough just to keep the soil moist and not soggy. Continue to water these trees all the way up until the soil freezes.

Evergreens can transpire water slowly all winter so if the soil is very dry, the plants may be susceptible to winter burn which will show up in spring.

5. Time to Plant Spring Flowering Bulbs

Fall is the time to start planting those spring flowering bulbs and garlic. When you start planting the first step is to select the right spot where you want these to bloom in the fall. It is important to see how much sunlight the bulbs will need when selecting the spot.

After you find the spot you want it's time to start planting! It is important to plant the bulb at its suggested depth in the ground in well drained soil.

Once the bulbs are planted it is very important to make sure the soil is watered very well. When watering you need to make sure you are watering enough to reach the bulb.

The soil should be watered thoroughly after planting and then again as needed. This will ensure that the bulbs establish new roots before the ground freezes over. After that all there is to do is wait until spring and enjoy the beautiful bulbs you planted!

6. Leave the Ornamental Grasses Alone

When caring for ornamental and native grass in the fall you should not cut them but instead leave them up and allow them to stand and enjoy their movement and interest in the landscape all winter long.

Once spring rolls around then it's time to cut the grasses. When cutting the grass in the spring cut them down all the way but leave just a few inches left. If you do this each year you will be letting these grasses thrive and live for years to come.

7. Houseplant Winter Care

Even though your house plants are grown indoors away from the elements of winter they can still be affected. The days are shorter and there isn’t as much sunlight so your plant will not grow as aggressively as it did in the summer when there is more sunlight.

With the days being shorter you do not need to fertilizer since the plant is not growing as fast. Once the winter is over and it gets sunnier out then you can start adding fertilizer to your plant.

The key to having a successful garden is to continually work on it throughout the year. All of the hard work that you do now preparing your fall garden for the winter will pay off greatly when you see your plants come back looking better than ever in the spring. Here at NatureHills.com we have all of the necessary tools for you to prepare your garden for the winter months to come.

Happy Planting!

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Frequently Asked Questions

When should I start preparing my garden for winter?

Start preparing your garden for winter in the fall, before your first hard freeze. This gives you enough time to complete key tasks like trimming diseased perennials, mounding roses with wood chips, planting spring bulbs, and wrapping young trees. Keep an eye on overnight temperatures and begin your winterizing routine as days grow shorter and plants start showing signs of going dormant. Visit naturehills.com for plant-specific guidance to help you build a fall prep checklist tailored to your garden.

How do I winterize my garden before the first hard frost?

Before the first hard frost, focus on a few key tasks to protect your plants through the cold months. Cut diseased perennials to the ground and discard the debris to prevent fungal diseases from overwintering, mound roses with about a foot of arborist wood chips after the first few frosts trigger dormancy, and wrap young trees to protect their bark. Plant any spring-flowering bulbs now, keep watering your evergreens, and move tender houseplants indoors. Tackling these steps in fall sets your garden up for a stronger, healthier comeback in spring.

Which plants should I cut back in fall and which should I leave standing until spring?

Cut back perennials that show signs of disease, such as leaf spots or powdery mildew, trimming them all the way to the ground in fall and discarding the debris so fungal issues do not overwinter and reinfect next year. Roses should not be cut back in fall in colder regions; instead, wait for a few frosts until they go dormant, then mound arborist wood chips about a foot high around the base for protection. Ornamental grasses are best left standing through winter, as they provide seasonal interest and natural insulation. As a general rule, remove anything diseased immediately, leave structurally sound plants that add winter interest, and hold off on pruning roses that bloom on last year's wood until after they flower in June.

How do I prepare perennials for winter so they come back strong in spring?

Inspect your perennials in fall for leaf spots or other signs of disease, as these indicate fungal or powdery mildew problems that can overwinter in plant debris and reinfect your garden the following year. Any diseased perennials should be cut all the way to the ground and the cuttings discarded rather than composted. Healthy perennials can be left in place for winter interest, but removing diseased material now is the single most effective step you can take to ensure a clean, vigorous comeback in spring.

Do I need to dig up tender bulbs, tubers, or container plants before frost?

Yes, tender bulbs and tubers such as dahlias, cannas, and caladiums should be dug up before the first hard frost if you live in zones where they are not winter hardy. Once the foliage has been killed back by a light frost, carefully lift them from the ground, allow them to dry, and store them in a cool, dry location such as a basement or garage in paper bags or boxes filled with peat moss or sawdust. Container plants that are not cold hardy should also be brought indoors before freezing temperatures arrive, as pots offer little insulation and roots are far more vulnerable to cold than those planted in the ground. Check your USDA hardiness zone and the specific cold tolerance of each plant to determine what needs protection before your region's average first frost date.

How much should I water trees, shrubs, and perennials before the ground freezes?

Watering trees, shrubs, and perennials deeply before the ground freezes is essential for helping plants survive winter stress, especially evergreens that continue losing moisture through their foliage all season long. Aim to give established plants a thorough soaking of at least 1 inch of water per week through late fall, continuing right up until the ground freezes solid. Pay extra attention to any plants installed this season, as newly established roots have not yet spread wide enough to seek out moisture on their own. Keep a close eye on dry spells in October and November and water during warmer afternoon hours so moisture can absorb before nighttime temperatures drop.

What is the best way to mulch garden beds for winter protection?

Mulching is one of the best ways to protect your garden beds heading into winter. For roses, mound arborist wood chips starting at the base of the plant, building up to about a foot high to insulate the roots through the coldest months. Wait until after a few frosts and the plant has gone dormant before applying mulch, so you are not trapping warmth that could interfere with the dormancy process. Come spring, pull back the mulch gradually as temperatures warm to allow new growth to emerge safely.

Should I fertilize or add compost to my garden beds before winter?

While the article focuses on other winter prep tasks, adding a layer of compost to your garden beds in fall is generally a smart practice that improves soil structure over winter. Avoid applying nitrogen-heavy fertilizers in fall, as this can stimulate tender new growth that will be damaged by frost. Instead, top-dress your beds with 1 to 2 inches of compost after your plants have gone dormant, which allows it to slowly break down and enrich the soil by spring. Focus on compost as your go-to fall amendment and save any balanced fertilizing for when plants break dormancy in spring.

How do I protect roses, shrubs, and newly planted trees from winter damage?

To protect roses in colder regions, wait until after a few frosts for the plant to go dormant, then mound arborist wood chips about a foot high around the base to insulate the roots through winter. For newly planted trees, wrapping the trunk helps prevent frost cracking and winter sunscald. In spring, pull back the mulch from your roses and trim any winter-damaged canes, but hold off on cutting roses that bloom on last year's wood until after they flower in June. Visit naturehills.com to find the right mulch, tree wrap, and winter protection supplies for your garden.

What are the most important steps to get my garden ready for winter?

The most important steps to winterize your garden include trimming diseased perennials all the way to the ground and discarding the debris to prevent fungal diseases from overwintering, mounding roses with arborist wood chips about a foot high after the first few frosts trigger dormancy, and continuing to water your evergreens before the ground freezes. Fall is also the ideal time to plant spring-flowering bulbs and wrap young trees to protect them from winter damage. Start by walking your garden now to assess which plants show signs of disease or vulnerability, and prioritize those first before your first hard freeze arrives.