1. TAKE PICTURES
They don’t have to be pretty, but if you haven’t been taking photos of your garden all summer, now is the time to whip out your camera or your phone and take a lot of pictures from different angles. Trust me. You think you’re going remember what your garden looks like, but come February you’ll be wondering what plants are lurking out there. And knowing what’s out there will make it that much easier and that much more fun to do a little mid-winter garden planning.
2. TAKE NOTES
If you have a memory better than mine, mental notes should do just fine, but otherwise write down a few notes about what you want to change or reassess next year. I’ve printed out pictures in the past and written right on them, but even a list in the “Notes” app on my phone has come through in a pinch.
3. KEEP UP ON THE WATERING
Personal experience (and common sense) has taught me that plants that go into their winter hibernation happy instead of stressed fair much better through whatever winter can throw at them. The only thing that’s less fun than dragging a hose around the garden is dragging a hose around the garden while you’re wearing a parka, but it will be so worth it come spring.
4. PLANT A FEW BULBS
Even if you don’t go hog wild on the bulbs, at least plant a few. The joy they bring after a long, gray winter is immeasurable. I’ve gone years without planting any new bulbs and have regretted it every time.