Fall gardening always feels a little bittersweet here in upstate New York. The days are blustery, the light shifts, and the garden starts telling us—very clearly—that it’s time to wrap things up. On this early November day in Zone 6A, we’re tackling a handful of projects that help carry the garden safely into winter… and set us up for a strong start next spring.

This is not a “perfect garden” cleanup. This is a real one, done when we can, in between work and life, with muddy boots and plenty of surprises along the way.

Lifting and Storing Dahlia Tubers (Including a Favorite!)

One of the biggest jobs of the day was lifting our dahlias—especially one very special plant we call “Number Six.” This dahlia was grown from seed, and out of all the seedlings we saved last year, it was the only one that survived winter storage. This season, it rewarded us with towering, eight-foot-tall plants and nonstop blooms.

If you’ve ever wondered:

• Save seeds or save tubers?
  Here’s the simple answer:
• Saving seeds means surprises next year
• Saving tubers means you get the exact same plant

Because we loved this dahlia so much, tuber storage was the priority.

Our process:

1. Cut the plants back to the ground
2. Lift the tuber clumps carefully (they were massive!)
3. Rinse off excess soil with a hose
4. Let them dry for a few days
5. Divide and store for winter (methods vary year to year)

The rule we follow here in Zone 6A:
👉 Lift dahlia tubers about 2–3 weeks after your first frost

Seed Saving (Because Why Not?)

Even though tubers were the focus, we couldn’t resist saving a few seeds, too. Dried dahlia seed heads are surprisingly beautiful, and each one holds hundreds of potential flowers—each genetically unique.

We love the idea that next year’s garden could include something completely unexpected.

Fall Cleanup: What We Remove (and What We Leave)

Not everything gets pulled out in fall, and that’s intentional.

What we removed:

• Spent annuals like verbena, salvia, and castor bean
• Overcrowded seedlings
• Storm-damaged supports and trellises

What we left:

• Healthy foliage
• Leaf litter to decompose and feed the soil
• Perennials and shrubs that are better cleaned up in spring

We’re firm believers that fall cleanup doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. If a plant was healthy, we let nature do some of the work for us.

Protecting Young Trees & Shrubs from Deer and Rabbits

Before winter really sets in, we also protected a newly planted Swan Song styrax. Young trees are especially vulnerable to deer browsing, so we wrapped it with vinyl-coated black chicken wire, securing it to the ground and topping it like a little hat.

It’s not fancy — but it works.

Planting Spring-Blooming Bulbs (Future Joy!)

No fall garden cleanup feels complete without planting bulbs. This year, we added Party Balloon alliums, a perennial favorite for us.

Why we love them:

• Hardy in Zones 4–9
• Deer and rabbit resistant
• Multiple blooms per bulb
• Pair beautifully with hydrangeas

We planted them between roses and hydrangeas so that when the allium foliage starts to fade in spring, fresh growth will hide it beautifully.

Future us will be very grateful.

A Garden Reset, Not a Goodbye

By the end of the day, the garden looked completely different. Open space. Clean lines. So much potential.

Fall gardening has a kind of freedom to it—you stop worrying about perfection and start thinking about rest, renewal, and what’s next. This cleanup wasn’t about finishing everything. It was about doing what we could, when we could, and feeling good about it.

Next up: getting our hydrangeas ready for winter.

Thanks for growing with us!