During the long winter months snow, sleet and wind can cause considerable damage to even the best maintained gardens. Prepping your garden for the winter in a never ending task. how to protect your pots and potted perennials in winter, the followings are my tips.

Protecting Your Pots
One of the biggest complaints I hear from my clients or gardening friends is the additional cost of replacing pots every year. If you take the time to protect your plants or store them for the winter, you will avoid the need to replace them and save yourself some money. If you have mild winters you can get away with tucking your pots into a sheltered area of your garden, but for those who live further North, your pots should really be brought inside out of the cold.

Protecting Potted Perennials
Potted perennials need to be protected during the winter because the pots they are in will not provide enough heat to keep their roots alive, no matter how big the pot is. With potted perennials, you have two choices with more or less work on your part being the deciding factor. If you have a large garden and do not mind a little work, you can plant your pots in the ground for the winter. Simply dig a hole, plant the entire pot in the ground and add mulch. On the other hand, you can simply bring your pots inside for the winter and keep them stored in a shed or garage. When you are keeping potted plants in unheated rooms it is a good idea to wrap each pot with fabric, such as burlap, or a similar material to help them maintain a constant temperature.