How to Winterize Flower Gardens in Minnesota

Prune the garden in fall, after the first frost. This timing may range from late August to mid-September, depending on your region. Cut off any dead or wasted foliage, prune hardy perennials back to the ground or to 2 to 3 inches and cut rose canes down to 2 to 4 feet. Clean out dead annuals, which will fail with the first frost.

Dig up and store perennial flower bulbs to protect them during the winter. Separate the bulbs and lay them in a safe, dry spot to dry for one week, then replant them in a plastic box full of topsoil. Make sure that the bulbs don't touch one another in this box, as they may rot with contact. Store the box in a cool, dry and dark place over winter, and replant the bulbs in spring.

"Tip" hybrid tea roses to protect them. Tie the canes together loosely with soft cord to make the bushes more manageable, then dig a trench in one direction away from the rosebush. Each trench should start at the rosebush's roots and measure slightly longer than the bush is tall. Dig the trenches 6 to 8 inches deep. Don your garden gloves to protect your hands, then dig into the soil around the rose's rootball on the trench side to loosen the soil. Push the bushes into their trenches and cover them with 4 inches of soil to secure them. Cover the mounds with 18 inches of mulch.

Mulch the rest of the garden with 5 to 6 inches of organic mulch to protect the plants through the winter. Plants and roses can come back out in April, when the ground begins to thaw.