How to Protect Your Garden Before the Freeze
Prepare Your Landscape for a Healthy, Worry-Free Winter
Before the first hard frost arrives, a little extra effort now will go a long way toward protecting your garden and outdoor spaces through the cold months ahead. Winterizing helps your plants, soil, and tools survive the freeze so everything’s ready to burst back to life next spring. To make it easy, the team at Bayview Garden Nurseries has created this essential end-of-season guide—plus a few product tips to help you get the job done right.
Cut Back and Clean Up
Start by removing spent annuals and trimming perennials that have finished blooming. Cut perennials such as daylilies, hostas, and peonies down to a few inches above the ground to prevent disease and pest buildup. Rake out fallen leaves from beds and borders to keep fungi and mold at bay.
Protect Tender Plants
Wrap or cover delicate shrubs and young evergreens with burlap to protect them from harsh winds and heavy snow. Apply an anti-desiccant spray to broadleaf evergreens like boxwood or holly to reduce moisture loss. If you have container plants that can’t tolerate freezing, move them to a sheltered area or indoors for the winter.
Nourish and Mulch
Once your beds are cleaned up, enrich the soil with a layer of organic compost to replenish nutrients. Then apply 2–3 inches of mulch to insulate roots and protect against frost heaving. Bayview’s premium mulch blends and Espoma® compost make this an easy and effective step.
Drain and Store
Before freezing weather hits, drain and store garden hoses, irrigation lines, and watering cans. Disconnect hoses from outdoor faucets to prevent burst pipes. Clean and dry all tools, then store them in a dry, protected area to prevent rust.
Safeguard Outdoor Pots
Terracotta and ceramic containers can crack in freezing temperatures. Empty and clean them, then store upside down in a garage, shed, or basement. If you’re keeping winter displays outdoors, use frost-resistant resin or fiberglass pots that can handle temperature swings.
Winter prep doesn’t have to be complicated. By cutting back perennials, protecting tender plants, and caring for your soil, you’ll give your garden a strong head start for spring.
Winter Garden Checklist
✔ Cut back perennials and remove annuals
✔ Rake leaves and clear debris from garden beds
✔ Add compost and mulch for winter protection
✔ Wrap shrubs and young evergreens with burlap
✔ Drain hoses and store irrigation supplies
✔ Clean and store tools
✔ Protect or store outdoor pots
Local Expertise You Can Trust
At Bayview Garden Nurseries, we carry everything you need to prepare your landscape for winter—compost, mulch, burlap, frost-resistant pots, and expert advice. Stop by for supplies or schedule a landscape maintenance visit to make sure your property is winter-ready.
Bayview Garden Nurseries
2711 Zion Road
Northfield, NJ 08225
Phone: (609) 641-0648
Now Serving Avalon & Stone Harbor!
Visit our new location for professional landscape design, construction, and maintenance:
Bayview Garden Nurseries – Avalon
2819 Dune Dr., Unit 6
Avalon, NJ 08202
Phone: (609) 830-1040