Malmborg’s

Fall Gardening in Minnesota

Thick layers of leaves should be removed from lawns in the fall. They can be raked or mulched and composted in your yard or taken to a yard waste site. In areas of your yard that are not lawn, leaves can be left as winter mulch and are beneficial to insects. Perennials that have died back can be cut back now or cut back in the spring, seed heads should be left standing to benefit migrating birds and add winter interest to the garden.

Another project that adds winter interest is evergreen porch pots. Add cut branches of evergreens and spruce tips to your outdoor planters with colorful additions like dogwood branches and artificial berry sprays. Give evergreens a fresh cut before placing in the soil and keep pots watered until the soil freezes to enjoy your evergreen arrangement through the entire winter.