Fall is for Planting!

Despite the fact that the growing season is coming to an end, what with winter getting closer (I know, it’s terrible), it is important to remember that it is not over yet!

Fall is a great time to plant. And I’m not just talking about planting the perennials that have been sitting in the containers you bought them in last May, but planting new perennials and bulbs for next year, as well as replacing annuals that didn’t survive the summer heat.

First, one of the most important things to remember to plant now is your spring bulbs.  If you don’t get them in the ground this fall, you’ll miss your chance to have tulips, hyacinths, crocus, daffodils and more, pop up in your yard next spring. 

It’s also a great time to think back to last spring of flowers you saw blooming and wanted to plant.  One we get asked about a lot in the spring is scilla.  Scilla is the small blue flower that spreads and blooms like a groundcover.  Every spring we have customers looking for these flowers and we have to tell them that they will have to wait until the fall to plant them.

Fall is a great time to plant and divide perennials as well. The weather is cooling off, so there will be less stress on the plant to adapt to your garden.  It is important to keep new plants well-watered, to help them establish roots and settle in the ground.  With rainy fall days, you won’t have to water as much as you do in the summer. 

Finally, it’s the perfect time to replace the annuals that didn’t survive the heat or have just given up as the summer season ends.  Popping in an ornamental kale or pepper, a mum or a pansy, will give you splashes of color in your containers all the way until the holidays.

If you need ideas for fall containers, be sure to check out the free class at our Fall Festival on October 5th.  There will also be a class on preparing your garden for winter, and special one-day sales that will give you an inexpensive way to finish up the 2013 season.

Happy Planting!