The kitchen gardens sleep through the winter under a thick coat of leaf mulch. Leaf mulch is comprised simply of ground autumn leaves. Leaf mulch makes a wonderful protection from temperature extremes during the winter and decomposes into lovely soil in the spring.
I am very fortunate to get my leaf mulch from the Resource Center in Chicago (which also provides what I deem the best compost for spring gardens). This photo shows Cesar of Hyde Park Landscaping helping me get a couple cubic yards of leaf mulch for my clients’ kitchen gardens at the Resource Center.