The Change of Seasons always brings mixed emotions. We look so forward to the summer, and what Seems like a flash it is over. Fall makes us want to gather with friends and family and enjoy the Beautiful weather. It is a time to create a beautiful harvest welcome to your home. There are still many beautiful things to plant, and what makes it nice is that you have most of the leg work done. By removing the spent summer flowers and leaving some of the hardier plants you are all set to start again. Leaving the soil from your summer container, just add a few favorites such as Cabbage, mums, winter pansies, asters, snapdragons or celosia you will have a beautiful autumn arrangement. Remember to add a few gourds to your pot for added texture. And nothing says fall like A bale of hay, pumpkins and some cornstalks. Wrap some bittersweet and a burlap bow through them for a warm autumnal display. The summer grasses are showing off their plumes with their color spectrum ranging from red to gold, bringing nature alive.
Along with the new plantings, it is also important to get your garden ready for bed. Cleaning up is a great way to get some exercise. Did you know that raking leaves burns about 350 calories per hour. Fall is a great time to add compost to your garden to ready it for spring. Adding a new layer of mulch is a good winter protector. It’s also a good time to dig up and divide perennials, move things that got too big and take a good look at your garden. A few photos will help you remember just how big things got over the summer and where you want to make changes. Cut back perennials and shrubs that have overgrown. Check with your local garden center for the best time to prune your flowering shrubs. Improper pruning could result in failure to bloom in the spring. Fertilize evergreens and remove any debris that could harbor disease over the winter. Leave seed heads such as sunflowers, sedum and coneflower for your feathered friends when food becomes scarce.
Planting bulbs such as tulips, hyacinth, daffodils and crocus will give you great joy in the spring. Don’t forget to plant some fall vegetables. Broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, spinach and kale thrive in The cool temperatures.
Fall is a season of abundance and a time to enjoy the last days of your summer garden. As the sun starts Setting earlier in the day, we savor our last moments in the garden knowing winter is right around the corner.