Sorry, it's just that this will be my first time witnessing the death of a garden, and I'm a little weepy about it. :'( :'( :'( Philadelphia winters are mind-numbing... Maybe there are some winter flowers I can plant? (I dunno, the snow will probably prevent much from growing at all)
What kind of plants are you worried about? Are they annuals or perennials? Annuals are meant to last only one growing season, especially in the north. If you concentrate on perennials that are either native to your area or well adapted, then they will winter over with some mulch covering and come back in the spring. You probably have 2-3 months before the really cold weather hits, if you have plants that are "iffy" then start moving them to pots that can be taken inside the house or stored in a garage. Down here we can get Pansies to live all winter, but in your area they might not last if ice and snow last several days.
You may not find much in the way of blooming color in the winter, but you can add plants that have interesting color or texture in their bark or leaves. Some ideas for your area might be: Bulbs: Crocus, Scilla, Snowdrop and Winter Aconite will give early color, you may be able to plant some autumn crocus too, to give one last bit of bloom in Sept/Oct. Perennials (keep going for more than one year): Christmas Rose, Hen-and-Chickens, Sedum, Vinca, and Yucca are worth looking into... Annuals (only one year): Pansies (especially winter pansies), Ornamental Cabbages and Kales. There may be some plants that die back but the dead stems and leaves can still look good, turning silver instead of brown for instance. Shrubs: Arborvitae, Juniper, Red or Yellow Stem Dogwood and Yew are ideas - look for a dogwood that has red and orange coloring (I have 'arctic fire')in the twigs after the leaves drop, so it gives some color to the winter yard. Good luck!
