This is the garden in the Fall, just before the weather closes us down for the winter. Herbs are hardy, and many of the perennial herbs are still viable, but for the most part, my garden is ready to be put to bed for the year. The daylilies, chives and garlic chives have all been pruned back, and you can see the dead stalks of purple coneflower at the back of the center box that are providing food for the goldfinches before they fly south.
I used to cut everything down to the crown for the winter and then cover the beds with a mulch or straw, but this past year I've seen a lot written about leaving the superstructure of the plant in place to help it through the winter. I think that's true if you don't mulch or provide some kind of cover for the really bad weather, but I may return to my habit of clearing the gardens in late October or early November, to insure that no disease can carry over.
The garden is sad this time of year, but holds promise. Six months from now, we'll see green leaves.