GARDENING THROUGH THE SEASONS

Spring

If desired, cut back perennials early in the season, leaving 8 to 24 inches of stubble. These hollow stems can provide nesting sites for some native bee species. Break or cut the stems and drop on the ground next to plants to serve as mulch.
Many butterflies overwinter in the leaf litter as eggs, caterpillars, chrysalises, or adults. If you decide to remove some leaves, wait until late spring to increase the number of butterflies, bees and other insects that can successfully emerge.
Native plants do not need dividing, but divisions of spring ephemerals as well as summer and fall blooming plants can be shared mid-March into May. Plants with taproots such as milkweeds usually cannot be divided.
Plant new natives in late March to late April.
Try to hold off on that first mow until March or April. Keeping the lawn higher and mowing less can increase the number of bee species that use your lawn.

Is time to water newly established plants in the first season. Plants that need more moisture may need watering during severe droughts.
Planting in the summer requires close attention to watering.
Keep up with invasives and undesired plants. Cut back invasive shrubs and vines to keep them from setting seeds. Dig out invasive plants that emerge in late spring or summer before they go to seed.
Check out all the pollinators and wildlife that visits your garden. Enjoy the blooms.

Is time to add new natives late, particularly August through October.
Do not cut back native plants until very late winter or early spring.
Leave the leaves as much as possible. Leaves can be raked from lawns and walkways and used as mulch. Shredding the leaves will kill thousands of good insects, so try to use whole leaves. If you are able, leave logs to rot and make brush piles for wildlife shelters.
Seeds of many natives need cold, damp stratification. Allow desired natives to go to seed in the garden or spread seeds in flats and leave outside protected from chipmunks, squirrels with hardwire cloth or screen. The seeds of most plants will emerge in mid to late spring, but some may require two winters.

Is the time to review how well your garden grew during the year and to decide what changes you would like to make next year.
Order native bareroots and plugs online in early winter for best selection.
Leave native plants uncut to provide critical habitat for native insects and seeds for birds.
This is the best time of year to remove invasive shrubs and vines. Remove winter annual and biennial weeds and invasive bulbs before they go to seed. If the ground is not frozen, root out invasive grasses and groundcovers.
Flowering shrubs should be pruned before budding begins in late winter or after they flower.
Many native perennials need as much as sixty days of cold moist stratification to sprout and can be started in March or April, so January is the time to begin these seeds.