This might not be practical for you, but I'm a big fan of cardboard. I use it to cover areas where I'll plant annual flowers or vegetables--anything that can be pulled up in the fall. I like to put grass clippings or old horse manure on the cardboard, but sometimes I just leave it bare. It's not very attractive that way, but it isn't long before it gets covered with snow.

Worms love it, and it takes care of the weeds all by itself. In the spring, I can usually dig through it.

In the garden, I always go by the motto, "More is better."

There's no such thing as over-improving garden soil, so add all the improvements you can.

This time of year, I'd concentrate more on new ingredients such as manures rather than finished compost, because the new ingredients will break down over the winter (at least they do here-maybe someone in your area has better wisdom for your environment), while finished compost is what I like to add to new plantings.

I add several amendments to my flower beds and vegetable rows in the fall - cottonseed meal, bone meal, blood meal and dry 10-10-10 fertiler. Each package will give suggested amounts.

I scratch it into the soil lightly and cover with 6 inches of clean pine straw. I am fortunate that I can go into the woods out my back door and rake up all that I want. After the winter it has blended to what is just right for me.

Worm Poop!!

I go to the beach and pick up kelp and some broken sand dollars to add to the beds, then cover with straw, unfinished compost and coffee grounds.

we're doing one last feeding and planning on mulching 3 new plants...

the last few mows normally dh doesn't collect, but don't know if we will as our one huge tree looks "sick", and sure don't want to spead around the entire yard, so probably will collect this year.

i havn't a clue what we'll do if we have to have it removed...it has to be over 40-50 ft high...it will be sorely missed!

I let the leaves fall, which turns into free compost, and my flowers do very well. I don't fertilize any of the flower beds.

Susan
I do know that if you have maple leaves etc with the black blight moldy spots on them, you don't want to mulch and use them.

They should be bagged and have the city pick up.

I plant a Spring garden and a Fall garden, so I amend whe I plant. I usually add compost, then maybe some other amendments - just an organic balanced fertilizer or bat guano or other things. It has been a while since I tested my soil, so I really should do that this time around, prior to ammending.
I have raised beds and the soil can settle, so I take the opportunity to turn it all over, amend and "fluff".

Even though you are further north, you are warmer. Our zone is 1-2 and the ground freezes from 6-8inches or more in the winter especially when it gets to 30-40 below. One thing people hear have to watch out for if we put anything on top is mice and/or bunnies/squirrels etc. They will dig down and eat anything and everything--roots, bulbs etc So don't put anything on top.

When I was younger my husband would scalp the grass in the fall and I would add it to the soil turning it a few times. In the fall I did the same with the leaves. In 5 years the rock hard clay was perfect soil. When I plant in the spring I put in Milorganite fertilizer (sewer sludge)which seem to work all summer and does not burn. I used to use manure, but was told it quits working when it gets hot. When I bought this home, I was still able to do heavy garden work. I added some gypsum and cotton seed compost and it helped a lot.

I rake or blow dead leaves over my gardens. They might blow around a bit but some of them will be there in the spring, when I hire a guy with a tiller to dig everything up/in. I also have a compost pile, where I put all my vegetable scraps. In spring I take my wheelbarrow to the compost pile, shovel it in and then spread it around my gardens.

Thank you so much, everyone. I'm going to use a combination of ideas from here!

These are a lot of great ideas. I have a lot of perennials, so I can't just turn over the dirt. Do I just add the compost/manure all around the perennials?

Murraysmom, I have perennials now so I can't either, years ago I didn't. When I moved to this house I worked this soil before I planted because I knew how hard it was going to be just to dig a hole, clay is awful to work in.

I have a lot of clay too. This year the perennials came up gang busters, but now the long hot dry spell has done them in for the rest of this year I think. I guess I can just let them be.