Autumn is not only a time for tidying up our gardens, but it is also a great time to think about how we want our gardens to bloom in the spring. October is a good time to plant those spring bulbs that will cheer us up after the cold Illinois winter. Daffodils bring a welcome splash of color and have the benefit of being unpalatable to our local deer. If you have space, they will naturalize under shade trees and return every year. Other good choices for naturalizing are snowdrops, bluebells, and squills. Tulips are less likely to survive the attention of our local wildlife, but you can plant them under a layer of chicken wire which is more work but will discourage squirrels from digging them up.

Some of our perennials will really benefit from having their dying flowers and foliage removed. Taking this decaying leaf material away from the plant helps to reduce the spread of diseases like mildew and leaves no shelter for pests like snails and slugs. Examples of perennials that benefit from this trim are peonies, daylilies, and bearded irises. The best time to do this is just after the first hard frost when the plants are dormant, but the foliage has not started to rot. 

Other perennials should not be pruned in autumn. These include those that flower in spring, e.g., Forsythia, Lilacs, Azaleas, Viburnum, and Ninebark. Another reason not to prune is that plants that respond to pruning by putting out new shoots will not have time to harden these shoots before winter.  

One of the major autumn chores is raking dead leaves. Modern thinking is that there are many advantages to leaving leaves over the winter. As leaves decay, they add nutrients to the soil. They also provide shelter for larvae of butterflies that will grace your garden next spring. Allowing a thin layer of leaves to remain on your garden through the winter is definitely a good choice for nature, but don’t leave a thick pile of leaves as it will kill your grass and be difficult to remove next spring. Consider moving leaves to an area of your garden that does not have lawn where they can decompose naturally or transfer them to your compost pile. A thick layer of leaves can also act as a natural mulch and prevent weeds from growing. However, don’t leave leaf piles near the foundation of your house as they can attract pests like cockroaches, and we don’t want useful insects like spiders moving indoors.