Foothills residents have woken up to a few frosty mornings now and gardens and plants may be starting to feel the pinch.

Jen Stenseth, urban forest technician with the Town of Okotoks, says certain perennials are ok to let winter in the yard while some could need a bit of work.

"Perennials that don't like their leaves playing on top of their root systems are plants like iris because their roots are very surfaced," she says. "Peonies should always be cut back and have their living parts removed because they can harbor a fungus that will kill the root system."

According to Stenseth plants like annuals, bacopas, petunias, and million bells are done as soon as they get hit with frost.

For those who are looking stretch out the lifespan of their gardens, Stenseth has a simple recommendation.

"If you are trying to extend the season with your annuals and some of the items in your vegetable garden and you know there's a hard frost coming you can put sheets over your plants, just light sheets."

As for the leaves left littering yards as they start to drop Stenseth recommends either using them as compost or taking them to the organics bin beside the bottle depot.

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