Purchase local firewood to reduce the risk of spreading invasive wood-boring insects.
Removal or mulching of leaves helps sunlight reach lawn grass in fall.
Cold temperatures make collards, Brussels sprouts and kale sweeter.
Store lawn furniture and garden art that may be damaged by spending the winter months exposed to the elements indoors.
Not sure what to toss in the compost pile? Perennial foliage that has been cut back, dying potted plants and annuals along with their root balls, leaves, grass clippings, straw, chipped brush, sawdust, pine needles, vegetable and fruit wastes, eggshells, coffee grounds and paper filters and teabags.
Dig up and pot up a clump of chives for indoor use all winter.
Remember to cover newly planted garlic with a thick layer of straw once the ground begins to freeze. When the first garlic shoots appear in the spring, uncover the plants leaving the straw alongside the plants as mulch.
Plant Something Massachusetts is a project of Massachusetts Nursery and Landscape Association, and was originally established in partnership with Massachusetts Flower Growers’ Association.