Fall is for Planting!

With the heat of the summer past, now is the best time to do many gardening activities including weeding, mulching, pruning, and planting. This is a beautiful time to get out and enjoy one of the prettiest times of year as we transition from summer to fall.

Planting now in your perennial garden will give you nicely established plants next spring, strong plants that will be ready to bloom beautifully. Think back throughout this past season and about where and when you had color and texture in your garden.  Do you remember what worked well or where in your garden you needed a little more of something?  (Think early mid and late summer color!)

Here are just a few ideas of plants available now that you can add to your landscape:

Early: May-June: Bleeding Heart, Armeria, Astilbe, Campanula, Coral Bells, Brunnera

Mid-summer July- August: Dianthus, Echinacea, Geranium, yarrow, milkweed, Hosta

Late summer: Sedum, Russian Sage, Asters, mums, grasses, Black-eyed Susans

In the fall, the foliage on many plants will become the stars.  Grasses such as flame grass and little blue stem have great fall foliage colors and many varieties of coral bells come alive as the cool night temperatures bring out their best colors.

Fall is a great time to plant for a few reasons; as the days get shorter and the temperatures get cooler, the environment is telling the plant to store energy for winter, the plant then uses any available nutrients for root growth which is the key to getting established. Winter is a required period of rest that perennials awaken from in spring with new energy to bloom, a period known to plant people as vernalization (or wintering).

Evergreens and Shrubs can be planted even later than you may think!! We plant evergreens and shrubs all the way until the ground starts to get frost in it.  Just keep the plants watered well until the ground does freeze and you will have as much success planting late in the season as you would any other time. (Another positive result of planting late is the plant will take advantage of the early spring rains and the cool weather will continue to develop a strong, deep root system.)

Sunnyside, Home of Happy Plants! Says “Happy Planting”