Mid-November in upstate New York is the moment when the garden tells you—very clearly—that winter is coming.

Here in Zone 6A, cold temperatures, heavy snow, and wet winter weather shape every decision we make in the late fall garden. This isn’t about perfection or aggressive pruning—it’s about protecting plants from breakage, preserving next year’s blooms, and working with our climate instead of against it.

Today, we’re walking through how we prepare some of our garden favorites—hydrangeas, roses, and a few key shrubs and climbers—for winter.

Preparing Hydrangeas for Winter (By Type)

With over 200 hydrangeas in the garden, one rule matters more than anything else:
know what type you’re working with.

Different hydrangeas bloom on different wood, and late-fall care depends entirely on that.

Panicle Hydrangeas (Bloom on New Wood)

Examples: Limelight Prime®, Pinky Winky®, Quick Fire®, Quick Fire Fab®

Panicle hydrangeas are some of the easiest to manage heading into winter. Because they bloom on new wood, there’s no risk of cutting off next year’s flowers.

What we do in late fall:

• Deadhead only (this is not pruning)
• Remove large flower heads that could catch snow and snap branches
• Save flower heads if you’d like—or compost them if they’ve been sprayed with deer repellent

In our climate, heavy, wet snow can push these shrubs flat if flower heads are left in place. Deadheading now helps protect structure until spring pruning.

Bigleaf Hydrangeas (Bloom on Old Wood)

Examples: Let’s Dance® series, Fairytrail®, mountain hydrangeas

Bigleaf hydrangeas require a much gentler approach.

Right now, next year’s flower buds are already formed. You can often see them sitting just below the spent blooms.

Our approach:

• Deadhead very carefully
• Cut just above the first set of healthy leaves
• Never cut deeper than necessary

This helps prevent snow damage without sacrificing spring flowers. In especially cold, snowy regions like ours, this small step can make a big difference.

Smooth Hydrangeas (Bloom on New Wood)

Examples: Incrediball®, Invincibelle Spirit®

Smooth hydrangeas behave similarly to panicles when it comes to blooming—but their flower heads are even heavier.

Late fall care:

• Deadhead large, faded blooms
• Leave shaping and pruning for spring
• Focus on preventing winter breakage

If you garden in a drier climate with lighter snow, you may not need this step—but in our garden, it’s worth doing.

Oakleaf Hydrangeas (Bloom on Old Wood)

Oakleaf hydrangeas are one of the easiest decisions of all:
we do nothing.

Their airy flower heads dry, disintegrate, and blow away on their own. Snow doesn’t collect on them, and pruning risks removing next year’s blooms.

Unless shape is becoming a real problem, we leave oakleaf hydrangeas completely alone until spring.

Container Hydrangeas

For container-grown varieties that are only hardy to Zone 6:

• Once temperatures stay consistently cold (below ~40°F highs)
• We move containers into an unheated garage for winter protection

This keeps roots from freezing solid while allowing plants to remain dormant.

Rose Care in Late Fall (Protection, Not Pruning)

When it comes to roses, late fall is about damage prevention, not shaping.

Our winter concerns:

1. Heavy snow pulling long canes to the ground
2. Rabbits (learned the hard way)
3. Root protection in extreme cold

What We Do:

• Cut long, rogue canes back to about hip height
• Leave real pruning for spring
• Add a light layer of compost at the base for insulation
• Install 18-inch chicken wire cages to protect from rabbits

These cages stay in place year-round and disappear visually once plants fill in during the growing season.

Healthy roses are tougher than many gardeners think—and even hard pruning in spring won’t stop them from reblooming.

Leaving the Garden a Little Messy (On Purpose)

We don’t do a full cleanup unless there’s been disease pressure.

Fallen leaves and plant debris:

• Act as natural insulation
• Break down over winter
• Get topped with compost in spring

A slightly messy garden is often a healthier one.

Final Thoughts

Late fall gardening isn’t glamorous—but it’s one of the most important seasons for long-term success. A little intentional work now means:

• Fewer broken branches
• More reliable blooms
• Healthier plants come spring

If you’d like to see many of these plants at their peak, be sure to check out our May garden tour, where everything we protected here comes back to life.

Thanks for growing with us 🌱

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