Tips to keep your garden blooming by renewing it in fall

On woody perennials, make cuts just above a growth node. Using sturdy loppers, cut back buddlejas, like the one shown here, by two-thirds.

After dahlia foliage has turned brown, shorten the stalks almost to the base. Dahlia stems are hollow; sharp hand pruners work well on them.

Cut back herbaceous perennials, such as this catmint, to just above new growth at the base (the small gray leaves poking through woody stems).

Remove old or crossing rose canes. Cut back remaining canes by one-third to one-half, making cuts at a 45° angle above outward-facing buds.

October

CUT BACK PERENNIALS. Make cuts as shown above. If perennials such as daylilies have become crowded, dig each clump with a spading fork so the rootball comes up intact, then use a spade or sharp knife to divide them (each division should have plenty of leaves and roots). Replant divisions immediately. In cold-winter climates, divide plants by mid-October.

CUT BACK BULB FOLIAGE. After the foliage on dahlias and other summer bulbs dies, cut plants back as shown above. In mild climates, dahlia tubers can overwinter in the ground; in cold climates, dig and store them in a frost-free place until planting time in spring.

PULL WEEDS. Pull kinds such as crabgrass. Discard those with seed heads and compost the rest.

REMOVE SOAKER HOSES. Lay them flat on the pavement, cap the ends, then flush them clean with water. Coil and store them for winter.

ADD MULCH. Apply a 6-inch-deep layer of compost to the soil surface around plants.

December

PRUNE ROSES. In mild-winter climates, remove dead or old canes and make cuts as shown above right. In cold-winter areas, it’s safer to wait until April.

March

BEGIN FERTILIZING. After new growth appears, broadcast granular flower food such as a 6-2-5 formulation; water it in with a dilute fish emulsion from a hose-end sprayer. In mild climates, put down soaker hoses.