As much as I like to wear flip flops and T-shirts, I look at fall and winter as a vacation from yard work and a time to rest and reflect on the past year’s successes and ponder the rebirth of spring.

Like us, our gardens need time to rest and refuel to impress us once again with their beauty and wonder.

(But check out the stunning reblooming iris that's still going strong behind the Caleb Mills House.)

There is a large amount of information about preparing your garden for winter. Many people will simply strip the plants clean to the crown at the soil level. This is effective for easy clean up throughout the fall, but it isn’t ideal for plant health.

Exposed soil will generally freeze 10 times faster than soils that are covered with plant material, leaves, mulch, etc. Long term freezing of plant roots will increase the chance of plant death.

If you have shrubs and perennials in flower pots and plan on leaving them over winter outside, don’t be surprised to find many of them dead by spring. Roots of plants are still alive through winter, but when frozen solid, they are unable to take up water and oxygen.

I would suggest healing them in the ground, and apply a generous amount of mulch around. The plants should be good to go in the spring.

As a general rule, it is good to leave as much of the plant foliage as possible over winter.

There will be exceptions. If you have had disease or insect problems with a particular plant, you need to remove as much of the dead foliage as possible. Many insects and fungal diseases carry over winter in leaves and twigs, like apple scab. Don’t put this plant material in your composting pile — dispose of it off the property or burn it.

Mulching leaves into the lawn is fine as long as it is not excessive. Once the leaves pile up to the point that sun light cannot reach the grass plant, your yard will yellow and die. I compost all the leaves on campus and it takes two years to break down into fine compost.

If you are expecting the leaves to decompose by spring, it isn’t going to happen.

I leave you with a short list of plants that need special attention before winter:

• Hardy mums – leave all foliage until April 1, add some leaf cover to prevent cold damage. But don't expect all of them to come back — they aren’t that hardy.

• Ornamental Grass – Leave foliage until the end of March, then cut back to 6 to 8 inches above the ground (centers can freeze out).

• Semi evergreen perennials (Hellebores, liriope, Ivy) — Do not cut back in the fall. Cut them back only after they have turned brown, around the first first of April if needed.

• Broadleaf evergreen shrubs — These can burn in the winter if not protected. Consider protective wax sprays, burlap, etc. for boxwoods, azaleas, Rhododendrons, and Hollies.

• Butterfly bush — Cut back to 12 inches above ground before winter, and add leaves or burlap around the base to protect. These bushes can freeze down through the stems in the winter.

This butterfly bush is still blooming at the end of October. To prepare it for winter, cut back the stems to about 12 inches (see pictures below), then nestle leaves or burlap around the roots.

The semi-evergreen perennials shown below should be left alone. They provide nice color through the fall and winter. Cutting them off could also allow water to freeze deeply in the roots and kill them over a hard winter. Just leave them alone and enjoy their winter beauty.

Finally, for plants like hosta (shown at left), after you've trimmed back the bloomscapes, allow the foliage to die back naturally. The dead leaves will provide a helpful winter insulation. Just clear the dead material off the plant in the spring when we're out of danger of a hard freeze.

My approach to this gardening column is not to recite textbook information, but to give you practical techniques and information that works.

What is happening in the garden, in October?

Well, there is more than I can possibly write about in one article. Our lawns are the happiest this month, and you should remember to fertilize and aerate. A good fertilizer analysis is 32-0-8, most commonly named a “winterizer.”

Fall is a great time to spray the broadleaf weeds in the lawn. Look for broad leaf weed control containing 2,4-D. Always follow label instructions. Weeds will take longer to die in the fall, because of the cooler temperatures.What about planting and dividing perennials in the fall? I say, What are you waiting for? My spring time is so busy at the college, I do most of my gardening in the fall.

You can get some good deals on plants in the fall too. Always keep in mind when choosing a plant to ask yourself, does it look healthy, is it pest free, and are the roots alive? Slide the pot off, and check the roots!

The trick for fall division is to leave the transplants a bit bigger, with as much soil on them as possible. The reason for this is to prevent winter heaving (when the ground freezes, it will force a newly planted above the surface, so pack it with lots of soil).

The Ornamental Grasses are at their peak of beauty right now, but don’t be afraid to divide them (see photos below). For example, if you are dividing a clump of grasses, which is about 12 inches across at the base, spade around the plant six inches out from the base of plant and six inches deep. With your spade pry around the plant, detaching it from the ground below, then take a sharp, flat spade and cut the clump into quarters.

You need to plant your grasses within 24 to 48 hours, because they dry out very quickly when their in full growth. Do not remove or cut any grass blades till March of next year. Water in at the time of planting, and maybe couple more times before winter, depending on the rain fall. Once your ornamental grasses are established, they do best with little or no care. And remember not to cut your grasses down until mid March, because this helps protect the crown of the plant, and provides winter interest in the garden.

Next month I’ll talk about preparing the landscape for winter and tree planting.

Happy Planting.

First, sink the spade six inches deep, six inches out from the plant, all the way around.

Gently lift the root ball to release it from the ground.

Now sink the spade straight down midway through the center of the plant. Make sure to cut all the way through.

Separate the two halves of the original plant.

Make a vertical cut through each of the two halves.

Your single ornamental grass plant is now four plants! Do this now, but when you replant, make sure to use lots of soil to secure them in their new spots to prevent winter heaving.