Leave some foliage for winter interest

Wait to cut back perennials until early spring so that there will be some winter interest in the garden. However, some perennials - such as hosta - will not look good after being frozen, so it is best to cut them back in fall as they flatten to the ground.

In general, cut back plants that do not look good late in the fall, and cut back the remaining plants in early spring. If you prefer a clean look in your garden, then you may cut back perennials now.

You may want to consider cutting more perennials back in the fall if you have had problems with voles. Voles are small rodents with stocky bodies, short legs and short tails that can be mistaken for mice. They do not hibernate and are active throughout the year, mostly at dawn and dusk.

Voles primarily eat the stems and leaves of various grasses, but they also consume other vegetation. They will eat the bark of trees and shrubs during the winter, which is typically the most serious damage.

Gardens that have low-lying landscaping, such as arborvitae, spreading yews, junipers and cranberry cotoneaster have higher potential for vole activity. Voles are the most prolific when they have abundant amounts of vegetation and cover.

The damage is likely to be more severe during extended cold spells with deep snow cover. Eliminate weeds and dense ground cover around lawns to make these areas less able to support voles. Mow lawns and other turf regularly, and cut back vegetation from the bases of trees and shrubs as winter approaches in areas where there is vole activity.

Also, it is a good idea to pull mulch away from the base of trees and shrubs and keep the snow cleared away from the bases of young trees. Reducing cover makes voles more vulnerable to predators such as hawks and owls. In general, removal of cover is very effective in preventing damage by voles.

• The weather has been unusually warm this fall, making gardening more pleasant. At this point there are no special steps to take to deal with this weather in the garden. There has been good rainfall so far so it is unlikely that any of your new plantings will need supplemental water.

Newly sodded areas do still need to be watered until the sod gets established.

• Tim Johnson is director of horticulture at Chicago Botanic Garden, chicagobotanic.org.