From our perspective, the preparation for winter is not an event but the culmination of the entire growing season. We are perennial plants, meaning our life cycle is designed to span multiple years. As the days shorten and temperatures drop, we receive powerful environmental signals that trigger a fundamental shift in our biological processes. Our primary goal shifts from vigorous growth and reproduction to conservation and survival. We begin to slow down our metabolic activities, drawing energy and resources back from our leaves and stems down into our most vital parts: our roots and crown (the base of the plant from which new growth emerges in spring). This process is our version of hibernation, and your actions should support this natural transition.
After our beautiful, intricate flowers fade in late spring or early summer, please resist the urge to cut back our entire form immediately. While we no longer need to expend energy on blooming, our foliage continues to photosynthesize, creating and storing crucial carbohydrates in our root system. This stored energy is the very fuel that will sustain us through the winter and power our first burst of growth next spring. You can help by deadheading the spent flower stalks, which prevents us from wasting energy on seed production, but allow our leafy basalmounds to remain green and functional for as long as possible.
We will tell you when we are truly ready for our winter trim. After a few hard frosts, our leaves will naturally turn yellow or brown and become limp. This is a clear sign that we have successfully withdrawn all the valuable nutrients back into our crown and roots. The now-dormant foliage is no longer functional. At this point, you can gently cut our stems and leaves back to about an inch or two above the soil line. This late-season cleanup is beneficial as it helps prevent fungal spores and pest eggs from overwintering in the decaying foliage, giving us a healthier start when we awaken.
Our root system is our life. The most threatening aspect of winter is not the cold air itself, but the cycle of freeze-thaw-freeze that can heave the soil. This action can physically tear our roots and expose our sensitive crown to damaging cold and drying winds. After the ground has frozen hard for the first time, applying a generous layer of loose, airy mulch (like shredded leaves, straw, or evergreen boughs) over our base is the greatest gift you can give us. This blanket does not just warm us; it stabilizes the soil temperature, keeping it consistently cold and preventing those damaging heaves. Please remember to remove this mulch gradually in early spring as the weather warms to prevent rot and allow our new growth to emerge easily into the sunlight.
