If you’re looking for lots of color that can be planted in late August through September, perennials are the best place to start, Karen McKie of Green Oak Nursery says for those looking to liven up their yards this autumn.
Chrysanthemums, asters, Clara Curtis Mums, and ornamental peppers may be the sunset hues you’ve been looking to add to your backyard.
To provide more splashes of color, Crotons are a popular chose for fall displays, thanks to their shades of orange, red, and yellow. “They can be used with hay bales, pumpkins, and grasses to create a fall display at front doors,” advised McKie. The Green Oak recipe for success in fertilizing color plants is slow release fertilizer and granule systemic insecticide to prevent bugs from chowing down on your festive fall garden.
Fall vegetables include tomatoes, Sweet Pea Vines, cabbage, collard greens, broccoli, kale, and cauliflower.
McKie says, “The Cardoon plant is a fun winter plant: plant in October as a small starter. By March, it will grow to 4’ tall and blooms a purple thistle- like flower. It’s used as a background plant to the winter flower bed or in the middle of a flower pot with shorter plants.” When working on your fall garden, there will be time to start thinking ahead. Foxgloves, columbine, daffodil, tulip, crocus, and hyacinth bulbs will bloom in spring. Be sure to plant them in October and November for the best blooms. Some annuals to keep in mind are Violas, Pansies, Snapdragons, Dianthus, Ornamental Cabbage, Kale, Red Mustards, and Dusty Miller.
McKie said, “Evergreen plants that are great for winter plantings to be used with annual color: Sunshine Ligustrums – bright yellow foliage, Twist of Lime Abelias – chartreuse colored leaves that will drape over the pot filling it nicely, Sky Pencil Hollies – for linear height, Podocarpus (Southern Yew), Camellia Japonica, Camellia Sasanquas, Junipers, Boxwoods, and shaped Topiaries. Don’t forget about the hardiest plant ever: happy in any circumstance – Variegated Pittosporum – takes sun, shade, gets no diseases, no insects, useful for cuttings for arrangements.”
When getting rid of summer color, you should get rid of the globs of soil that form around old roots, make sure the holes in the bottom of your pots are unclogged, and when necessary add good soil.
On the always-relevant subject of turf grass, McKie says, “To prevent spring weeds – apply pre-emerge to lawns in October fertilize with winterizer fertilizer which is formulated with low nitrogen.” For the shrub beds in your garden, make sure to apply fresh mulch for winter plants. McKie’s personal preferences are pinestraw, pinebark mulch, hardwood mulch, and dyed mulch. These will help insulate the roots of your shrubs and keep troublesome weeds out as winter approaches.
Don’t let falling temperatures and decreasing sunlight prevent you from making your fall garden beautiful. Happy gardening!
