As the weather turns colder, it may be a good time to plan winter mulching for your garden. The point of mulching in the fall and winter time is to prevent the ground around your plants from alternately freezing and thawing, which can injure plant roots.
You’ll want to wait until after the first killing frost when the plants turn brown and go into a dormant state. Since this doesn’t usually happen for us until after Christmas, you can use boughs from your Christmas tree as mulch material. Leaves and other yard debris works well too, but be sure to remove the mulch in the spring to encourage new growth. Roses respond better to a heavier mulching and compost material is a good choice because it’s such a great insulator. Don’t forget about those evergreen or somewhat evergreen shrubs that can dehydrate in the winter. Burlap serves as a nice covering to protect these plants through the winter.