The Fall Garden Reset: 15 Things to Do Before Winter Clean Up the Garden

🍂 The garden is winding down, but your work isn't quite finished.

Fall is the perfect time to do a little garden reset — clean up what needs cleaning, organize the things you've been ignoring all summer, make notes about what worked (and what absolutely did NOT), and do a little planning for spring.

I've put together 15 simple fall garden tasks to help get your garden organized before winter — without spending every beautiful fall day working outside.

Because apparently, future-you deserves a little help. 🌱

Clean Up the Garden

Pull out the plants that are clearly done for the year. If you’re standing there wondering whether that brown thing is dead, it probably is.

Save Your Seeds

Save seeds from the plants that performed like champions. Maybe skip the ones that produced three tomatoes and an attitude.

Take Pictures of Your Garden

Take photos now so you remember what everything looked like next spring. Future-you will have absolutely no idea where anything was planted.

Write Down What Worked

Make notes about your favorite plants, biggest successes, and biggest flops. “Never plant this again” is a perfectly legitimate gardening note.

Make a “Never Again” List

Every gardener needs one. Mine gets longer every year, which I choose to interpret as experience.

Mark Your Favorite Plants

If something was fantastic, write it down. Because apparently remembering the name of a plant you loved six months ago is too much to ask.

Organize Your Seeds

Sort your seed packets before you buy more. Or don't. We both know you'll buy more.

Clean Up Your Garden Tools

Give your tools a little love before storing them away. They've been through a lot this summer—and so have you.

Store Your Garden Supports

Gather up stakes, cages, trellises and anything else you've been stepping over since June. Your future self would like the walkway back.

Measure Your Garden Beds

Take measurements while you can still see what you're working with. Spring is a terrible time to discover your “little garden bed” is actually enormous.

Make Notes About Your Layout

Sketch where everything grew this year. Next spring, you can pretend you had a carefully thought-out plan all along.

Add Compost or Amendments

Give your soil a little attention before winter. Your dirt has been feeding everyone else all summer; the least you can do is return the favor.

Make a Spring Garden Wish List

Write down what you want to change, add or try next year. Keep it reasonable. Or don't. Garden dreams have no budget.

Clean Out the Garden Shed

Put things where they actually belong instead of creating another “I'll deal with that next spring” pile. We all know how that story ends.

Take One Last Look Around

Before everything goes dormant, take a minute to appreciate what you grew. Even if the zucchini situation got completely out of hand. Again.

1. 
   

Fall isn't about having a perfect garden. It's about giving yourself a little head start on next year—and maybe remembering where you put the garden gloves this time. 🌱🍂