What do you do when your flower garden is overgrown and shabby at the end of the season?

Crocus: What do you do when your flower garden is overgrown and shabby at the end of the season?
Each year it is the same. The perennial garden is too large. I should have divided plants in the spring. It now seems like an insurmountable task. My garden has outgrown my energy! Any suggestions? Zone 3

Answers and Views:

Answer by schazjmd
I know the feeling! And it’s always when I’m pretty much tired of gardening for the year, too. 🙂 But lots of perennials do well being divided in the fall.

Basically, in August and Sep, other than keeping up with the watering, I let it be and don’t fret over it. Then in Oct, when I get one of those beautiful fall days, I clean up the worst of the overgrown foliage, divide & relocate where necessary, even prune some of the less fussy shrubs.

But I had to come to terms with not minding overgrown and shabby until I was ready to tackle it!

Answer by ellarosa
mulch it over thickly. cut out/pull out anything that looks funky (you’ve got extra, so no problem, right?).

Answer by Joanne A. W
Around the last two weeks of August after we have collected seeds from the dieing flowers, my husband and I cut down everything and clean up the yard. We still continue to water as needed until the first frost. You will get a little growth, but it will look nice. OR you can cut down the new growth too.

It is best to pace yourself and do a little each day. Don’t try to do it all in one day or one week. We go out in the mornings only.

We do the same with our containers.

About three years ago, we cut back on our gardens so that the upkeep would not have us working night and day to keep it all in order. It is the best thing we could have done. We no longer look at mail order catalogues or visit gardening centre or nurseries. It works….out of sight, out of mind. lol

Happy gardening to you.

Answer by h-sum
Trim and you now have cut flowers for home , office etc…!!!

Answer by RScott
Mine start out overgrown and shabby, what I got going on now is down right scary. Time to put a good edge on the machete for a little dead heading, thinning, remedial pruning and stump removal. It’s fun to see what’s underneath waiting, ready to make color before the end. Or I could just wait til spring again to sort it all out. RScott

Answer by Bemo
Thin thin thin- without mercy
Have a pail of bath water warm water nearby and cut flowers at an angle and plunge the cut stems into the warm water.

When you have cleared as many of the best bloom that you have the energy for —sort them into ‘bunches’ and place them in a cool place until the water has cooled.
Then choose any neighbor, church elderly,nursing home and give the gift of cheer in the form of flowers- wrap the cut ends in wet paper towels and plastic wrap-the recipient will find something to put the bouquet in !

When you get back to your scruffy garden , try to mostly the smaller plants and toss the scruff.
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The growing time left will give them time to recover and fill out a bit —-Good Luck !