4 Tips on Preparing Flower Beds for Winter in Surrey, BC

As we head into winter, it’s not quite as much fun working outside in the garden. There are some things, however, that one should do to prepare flower beds for winter on the Lower Mainland. Here are some of our best tips on what you should be doing.

Removing What Needs To Be Overwintered Indoors

This means flowers like dahlias need to be dug up and taken indoors. Any tender annuals or perennials that you want to try to grow again next year, like geraniums, also need to come inside. Be sure to do this before the first freeze.

Planting Fall Bulbs

This is the time of year we plant daffodils, tulips, and crocuses. You can even plant crocuses in your lawn! They will flower and fade before you cut the grass for the first time in the spring. When you plant bulbs, remove any weeds you notice where you are planting.

To Cut Back or Not To Cut Back

There are two schools of thought about deadheading perennials at this time. Some people like to do it because your garden will look much tidier through the winter. Others don’t mind a ragged look because leaving the deadfall in place is actually good for overwintering insects affording them food and nesting sites. Your flowers don’t mind either way. You can certainly wait until spring to cut back spent blooms and dead leaves.

Mulch

Now is good time to lay down mulch for the winter. This protects what you have planted from severe weather and rapid weather changes, and mulch also slows or stops weeds. If you use mulch, make it 2-4 inches thick and not touching the stems of plants (leave a little breathing room). If you have a lot of weeds, you can lay down some plain brown cardboard under the mulch to further extinguish weeds. The cardboard will break down along with the mulch. As the mulch breaks down, it will improve the quality of your soil every year.

We have everything you might need for these tasks above at our King George Boulevard store in Surrey—and free advice to go with it!

Art Knapp has 15 locations across British Columbia and is well known as the go-to garden centre for everything garden-related. Art Knapp, himself, began the business in the 1940's, and now, 80 years later, you can find more than he ever dreamed of in our stores. Come and see us on King George Boulevard in Surrey.

If you have any questions about this article or want to talk to us about gardening, just give us a call at (604) 596-9201.