At Fort Collins Nursery, we take bedtime very seriously! By putting our plants to bed properly in the fall, we are able to offer you strong, hardy plants in the spring. It is important that we create conditions similar to being in the ground. We simulate this type of environment for the trees, shrubs and perennials that winter over here at Fort Collins Nursery. For instance, we get some of our larger trees in from warmer climates and before winter hits they are “healed in” to ensure that they maintain proper moisture and temperature levels throughout the winter months. “Healing in” means that we carefully group all of our larger trees close together and then pack mulch in all around each pot and on top of all of the root balls. We do this to ensure these trees have an opportunity to become acclimated to our climate so that in the spring they wake up on Colorado time and will bud and bloom as they should. The smaller trees and shrubs are put to bed in our Quonsets, 
where they are still watered once a month during the winter months. Our perennials are also bedded down in the Quonsets for the winter. They are allowed to freeze off and then they are covered with blankets and tucked in for the winter, no kidding! Some of our perennial bulbs like iris and lily are wintered over in soil beds, covered with breathable material and then covered with mulch. It’s like hibernating for plants!
Originally published on December 13th, 2011. Updated on November 20th, 2019.