Keep on top of garden maintenance even as you relax your winter cleanup approach. Remove dead or weak branches from trees and shrubs to prevent them from breaking off and causing damage during storms. You’ll also want to remove any rotting stems on herbaceous perennials, and any diseased foliage.

Replace fading annuals with cool-season choices — especially in warm-winter areas — to keep some pops of color in your landscape. Remove and compost any remaining warm-season annual edibles and herbs. Prune back woody herbs that can handle the cold, such as rosemary and thyme, by about two-thirds to prepare them for winter. To eke out the last of the harvest, dry any herbs and preserve the last of any fruits and vegetables.

Are there annuals and annual edibles, such as tomatoes, that you love having in your garden? Before you move them to the compost pile, gather some seeds to get started for next year.