Ever notice that the garden starts to look a little tired about this time of year? There is a way to make it look a little fresher, while making fall garden clean up a little less tedious. Look at the garden closely. Notice that many plants still look great, while a few of them are turning brown or looking tattered. Go into the garden 2-3 times a week and cut down the things that don't look great anymore. Because it is usually just a few plants that have gone downhill, each trip to the garden will take only a short amount of time. Removing the tired plants will make the garden, as a whole, look better. This also eliminates the need to set aside a large chunk of time to cut back the perennial garden in fall, because you did it in smaller chunks over a longer period of time.

I do this in my own garden as well as at the demonstration gardens at the Extension office. My schedule is very busy and this method allows me to do small amounts of work that really make an impact. It is also a good way to take a break from my computer and the work piled up on my desk.

Give it a try and keep your garden looking better throughout the fall.