There are several approaches to preparing your gardens for winter, none of which is the single “right” way. Rather, the approach should be do what each gardener wants to do to keep gardening enjoyable. Some of the things to think about are insects, diseases, plant damage, the look of your property, and creature habitat.
While my gardening philosophy is “do what you want to do, when you want to do it”, there are clearly things that are better done at certain times. Cleaning up debris that harbors disease or provides a home for destructive insects and removing dead or damaged branches that are dangerous or that may cause further damage are important activities. The debris should be put in the trash, not composted, since few compost piles get hot enough to destroy the organisms you are trying to eliminate.
The way gardens look in the winter varies. Some people like all plant materials cleaned up so that beds look neat and tidy all winter. Some like to leave plant material that provides visual interest during the winter. A combination of both is also a good approach…