Fall garden tasks

There are quite a few things we're working on to get our garden in order for the winter. Some is done and the rest should be finished by this weekend. If you have anything to add that I've missed, please share!

1. Plant bulbs. 

(We planted about 150 tulip and daffodils along the fence in early-October which will hopefully bloom in the spring. Apparently, the Woodwards cannot just do something halfway. 5 or 10 tulips. No siree, Bob. We need 150.)

2. Pull plants to overwinter.

(We'll cut down and pull these bulbs on the side of the house. The red ones below are the most noticeable. They will go somewhere else next year.)

3. Mulch.

(Giving the garden beds a fresh layer of mulch will help protect plants over the winter. It also looks nice, which is an added bonus. We'll add mulch everywhere, and put mulch over the area where we planted bulbs.)

4. Pull out all dead plants and compost.

(We pulled out all our old garden plants to clean everything out for winter. If you don't clean it out, it could breed disease over the winter. Yuck.)

5. Cut back plants.

(I cut back our rose bushes to right above their "elbows" - this helps them grow better and fuller. I also cut most grasses and perennials back to near the ground and trimmed the lilac and boxwood bushes.)

6. Compost.

(I've talked about the fact that Ryan and I don't like chemicals in our gardens. We just amend the soil with compost. Over the winter, we will put a layer of compost over most garden beds.)

7. Start new beds.

(Ryan wants to plant corn next year, so we are extending the garden next year. To get rid of the grass and amend the soil, Ryan covered the grass with a layer of newspaper and then a thick layer of compost. So, the grass will die and then Ryan will till the newspaper and compost into the ground in the spring, adding additional nutrients. Pretty clever, I think.)

What are we missing? How do you prepare your yard for winter?