Frost/Winter Insulation for Gardens

I take the leaves that I rake up and I cover my plants with them loosely, enough to cover the root area. I have found that this makes the plants survive better, become more hardy, and actually spread better if they are spreaders. I also water them only on really, really hot days. I know some people water their plants daily, but I find that rain water is the best for them.

Think about it: Most plants are in the forest with no one to water them and put straw around them or burlap over them. This has worked well for me in my area, and my plants actually bloom more and thrive better than the plants of a neighbor who waters every day, even if it has just rained.

Here is a picture of how it looked before I cleaned it out. There is some brown grass in back. You really can't see leaves in it. Sorry.