|
As the gardening season
winds down, I get a lot of the same questions from many different
gardeners. Like questions dealing with ornamental grasses. “When do I cut
them back, or what do I do with them over the winter?”
Well, ornamental grasses
not only provide great character to the landscape in the summer with their
foliage and movement with the wind, but they also add winter character to
the landscape with their foliage, the colors, the plumes and seed heads, and
again, their movement with the wind. So I suggest you leave them be for the
winter and enjoy what they add. Then, in late winter or early spring, cut
them back just above the ground, and allow the new grass clumps to begin to
grow for the summer season. Now, if by chance you don’t like their winter
look, feel free to cut them back this fall, after they have turned totally
brown.
A lot of gardeners have
enjoyed the summer flowers of the butterfly bush, but again the question
comes up, when should I cut back my butterfly bushes? Fall or spring?
Butterfly bushes will
keep those small leaves well into the late fall and early winter. Again, I
like to leave them be and enjoy their winter look, and then cut them back in
the spring. As a matter of fact, they seem to do better over-wintering by
leaving them alone and cutting them back in the spring. But, again, if you
don’t like the look, cut them back late fall.
And as the season winds
down, right now the biggest question is from gardeners growing roses, asking
if it’s okay to cut back their roses and put them away for the winter. The
answer is…NO! It’s way too early to be cutting back roses and getting them
ready for winter. Keep watching, and I’ll let you know when the time has
come. |
