Well we got snow before the ground froze through. I put a couple inches of compost over my beds this year. Should I still put some straw down over the snow for cover this winter?

There is nothing wrong with mulching over snow. But your neighbors might think you've gone bonkers. I have not spread my leaf mulch yet, and don't plan to for a while. The ground is still ridiculously warm, and so far the snow has not been permanent. In winter, the best thing would be to try to time your mulching just before a snowfall, so the mulch surface will be white and not absorb the sun's heat.

Edited to add not.

I'd certainly wait until the ground freezes hard before I'd add anymore. I haven't mulched any yet and most likely won't until around Christmas/Newyears time. Don't worry about your bulbs freezing, they won't.

Edit: Now's the time to start preparing--get your materials (leaves, pine boughs, etc.) in separate piles ready and handy so when that nice day comes you're all set. Long range forecast models indicate a rather mild spell around Christmas here in the Midwest.

Rick, my neighbors already think I am bonkers. When I added on to my raised bed a couple of them came by asking what I was doing. When I told them, one goes "Oh my, you will have the prettiest yard" lol Another neighbor said she just loves my lilies.

Just a shame most of the good lilies are planted in that backyard! Well except for some Griesbach bulbs lining my walkway to my house the wife doesn't know about

Well, Dave, your wife will have a nice surprise come summer!

Nice, Dave. I'd rather my best lilies in the back. That's where they are safest,especially the Griesbach specials. This I know, your wife has no idea what next summer is going to look like (and neither do you for that matter )
It's going to be amazing.

Happy mulching and odd neighbor looks. It'll be worth it all in the end.

Based upon 34 years of married life in my own experience, your wife probably knows but chooses to not mention it. Loving partners make all kinds of generous small considerations for their beloved and the things that make them happy.

Thanks Lorn. I'm going to get a bunch of straw this weekend and get it in the garage.

Tracey, it is kind of Russian roulette with the Griesbach bulbs. No idea of the color, height, or flower orientation. But it was mostly the smaller asiatic bulbs I planted in the front. I'll include some pictures in the 2017 season.

Freezengirl, I'm not sure she knows I planted then in the front yard. She was gone when I planted them, and I used an auger bit on my drill to make clean, neat holes that were easily covered up. But then again, one of the kids might have ratted me out. They are more observant of things like that than the wife is. But I hope she will make a couple sacrifices this coming year as I plan to go to the NALS show in St. Louis this year. And I'm interested in going to a couple events that the North Star Lily Society is having in Minnesota. Their lily show, and an event where Rimmer De Vries will be speaking on aurelian lilies

Want your wife to really think you are crazy?! Tell her at night when it is dark out that you are going outside to lay straw down on your lily beds.

No, no .... Tell her you are going to ENJOY it!

Seriously, I DO enjoy working in the yard at dusk into the night.The ambiance completely changes from the day, and you really do see things differently. While there is an inherent sense of "urgency" to get the project done, somehow it is more still more easy going. Maybe because it's easier to focus on the task to be done? Once night falls, there are less mosquitoes, too.

On Christmas Eve, I went outside just to enjoy the night. That's how I noticed the neighbor's ice luminaries that I photographed.

Wife looked at me and said "there is already snow on them. How are you going to do that?" Easy I said. Lay it all out then crunch some of it intro the snow. I still had some spots where the snow melted off from the 40° day and rain we had in Christmas eve