Fall Garden Planning

Plan & Enjoy the Fall Garden.

Instead of folding up the lawn chairs at first sign of cool weather, do a little planning so you can extend your garden enjoyment later in the year. It doesn't matter whether you are reading this in the spring, summer, fall or winter - you can work on planning your garden so that it looks great in the fall!

Planning for a fall garden.

Gorgeous colors in fall.

One thing you definitely want to enjoy in the garden in the fall, whether from indoors or out, is the gorgeous colors of fall. From trees and shrubs to flowering plants to ornamental grasses and even garden ornament, the choices are limited only by one's imagination. Every year there seems to be an ever-expanding list of varieties that carry the garden through into colder weather. I think we should take advantage of that fact. After all, isn't the garden where we would really prefer to be on these cold, snowy days (if the truth be told!). As nice as it is to be curled up in front of the fire, if we didn't prefer to be in the garden...why are we reading books and magazines on gardening as we sip our tea and soak in the warmth of the fire?

Some Ideas to Incorporate in Your Fall Garden

Starting with the Backdrop - Colorful Shrubs and Trees

There are many options to choose from for shrubs and small trees that produce splendid fall color.When planning your fall garden be sure to include things like smoke tree, mountain ash, serviceberry, and different colors of evergreen. Evergreens may all seem green at first glance, but they vary. So take advantage of the difference between them and plant them so that they stand out against each other. Other ideas are to include a red-leafed maple (there are several options of varying growth sizes); white birch; burning bush or sumac.

Things to Help Get Through the Winter

Keep them by the fireside!

A few trinkets to help with gardening-withdrawal-symptoms.

from

A cute little pillow to rest against as you sit inside on those cold days.

Price: 0.00

Gardener Extraordinaire Tote Bag

from T-Shirts and Gifts: Nifty Wares Shop

A tote bag to keep all your current garden books in so they are handy beside your favourite chair.

Price: 17.99

BusyBodies Gardening Journal

from BusyBodies Stick Figure T-shirts and unique Gifts

And a little garden journal to write down all your thoughts about what you want to do next spring. Keep it handy in that tote bag!

Price: 11.49

Fall Plants for Color

Some late blooming plants to carry you into the fall season with color.

There are lots of plants that bloom in the fall season. They make a great compliment to colorful leaves on the shrubs and bushes. Play them against some of the plants that are turning brown and they stand out superbly!

Also consider climbing vines such as virginia creeper and trumpet vine. Virginia creeper offers a fantastic display of color before its leaves drop, and has blue berries that remain after the leaves are gone. The trumpet vine has showy yellow or orange trumpet shaped flowers that come in late summer and last into fall, with visible seed pods remaining.

Grey is a color too!

Planning Garden Ornaments

The fall garden needs some decoration.

Consider adding statuary, trellises, or pergolas to give the garden more interest when the leaves fall and the colors are gone. You can create interesting little 'rooms' that make a garden cozy by placing ornamentation that helps to divide the garden into smaller areas.

This idea does not have to cost a lot of money if you keep your mind open and your eyes alert. Such items as cast off rusted metal bed heads, old bits of picket fence, old metal gates, wheelbarrows and boats that no longer float can be used in interesting ways. Plant vines to hang over them, colorful flowering plants in front, and some ground cover beneath it all. Use it as a point of interest in front of your evergreen hedge.

A large, fancy, cast-off piece from a front porch pillar can be used as the pillar base for a glass globe. Or get really creative and create an ornament yourself to set atop it such as a birdhouse or feeder, or metal sculpture. Let your imagination go to work and have fun.

You could also plan an area that has a heat source. There are many available that sit on a patio, but why not consider having something that is in the garden space and acts as an ornament in the warm weather, but becomes a usable space in the cool evenings and cold weather. If you have a space where open flame will not cause other things to catch fire, a brick cooking area or small contained clay cooker is an ideal source of enjoyment. Be sure to check your fire restrictions first though. It could be an attractive ornament as well as a fun place to warm up and roast weiners and marshmallows after a family outing.

Keep your eye on ebay for the bargains!

Seeing as you have to be indoors anyway!

Might as well make good use of your down-time. Follow the garden items on ebay during the wintery weather and see if you can pick up some treasures for your garden enjoyment next spring.

Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by

Gardening Lenses

Other places to get ideas.

There are a number of great gardening lenses here, so I have listed a few for you to check out.

Wild Flower Garden

A wild-flower garden has a most attractive sound. One thinks of long tramps in the woods, collecting material, and then of the fun in fixing up a real for sure wild garden.

Gardener's World Headquarters

Gardener's World A corner of the internet for enthousiastic amateur gardeners worldwide. An environment for exchanging ideas, developing creativity and living to grow and expand!! The miracle of seeing something grow from a tiny seed into a magnific...

The Blogging Nurseryman

Trey is the original Blogging Nurseryman. Trey and his wife Monica own The Golden Gecko Garden Center in Garden Valley, California. He's holding the wine glass because he likes his wine. Cheers!

Garden Antiques

There are a huge variety of antique ornaments and structures available for your garden including sundials, statues, urns, earthenware jars, lead cisterns, chimney pots, millstones, sandstone slabs, fieldstones, flowerpots, wood figures, fountains, la...

Your Fall Cleanup List Part 1

A Starter List for You

We will start with Garden Work - the final things to be done before it gets too cold to be working with your plants. Just one small important note before we get started - bring out the things you might want for winter first - then put the summer things in the shed - otherwise you will be searching for the skates and sleds when the snow falls!

Split overgrown perennials and replant, preparing the soil well
Plant spring bulbs and mark where you planted them (believe me, you will forget)
Feed the lawn one last time
Throw veggie garden cleanup in compost
Finish pruning
Take a last go-round with the weeds so they don't have the whole winter to build a larger root system
Compost and mulch to give soil a boost and protect the plants.

Cleanup List Part 2

Garden Tools

Some of mine get put away, some stand like sentries waiting until spring. I don't mind leaving them outdoors if it won't ruin them, as when they stand against the shed, with snow drooping from them, it reminds me that spring will come again!

Clean and sharpen shovels, hoes, edgers and pruners before putting away
Put rakes and trowels in the same place as the shovels etc.
Clean and sharpen mower blade - run out the gas in gas mowers, check the power cord on electric ones to be sure they will be in good shape to work next year
Check and repair hoses and connections that leak
Clean and check sprinklers - take advantage of fall sales for replacement of those that don't work
Move wheelbarrow to where it will not fill with water or snow and rust.

Cleanup List Part 3

Furniture and Ornaments

Decide which things can remain in the winter weather without major damage, and which must be protected. Some may be fine on your patio if they are covered and there are several types of covers available in gardening centers for lawn furniture.

Clean and repair any furniture that requires it and put under cover
Take down the hammock (no - you won't really get to use it anymore this season, much as you would like to!)
Empty and clean out any plant containers that need it so they will be fresh and ready for new plants in the spring.
Empty water from bird baths, scrub clean and set the bowl where it will not fill with water and freeze and crack over winter
Remove and store any ornaments that will be damaged by snow and frost
Set out the birdfeeders and suet containers for winter birds

Cleanup List Part 4

Ponds & Water Features

Water features need to be given careful consideration. If they are deep enough, sometimes you can leave your fish in over winter, but they still have to be taken care of in a careful manner. You don't want to have to redo because things weren't done right in the fall.

Clean out leaf debris and anything that may have been blown in by fall storms
Remove plants that are not winter hardy
Make sure there is shelter for any small amphibious critters like frogs or salamanders - they add to the health of your water feature, so you don't want to lose them.
Feed fish a little extra so they can fatten up for winter. Check with your local pond stores to find out how much to give them - don't overload the water with more than they can eat.
If your pond or water feature is very small, you may have to drain and remove the pump for winter

Cleanup List Part 5

All the Extras

This is the last part - honest.

Check underground sprinkler systems, drain, repair, mark any that might be in danger of damage by snow removal equipment
Cover or turn off outside water connections for the winter
Put summer yard toys and games in a box of their own
Pick any dried seeds or branches that you want for indoor display or craft projects over the winter months
Write next years plans in your garden journal

Videos to Give You Visual Help.

Planting a fall garden - part 1

Runtime: 7:45
1308 views
0 Comments:

Planting a fall garden - part 2

4.64

Runtime: 7:19
2170 views
4 Comments:

Fall Garden Tillage

Runtime: 2:38
435 views
0 Comments:

Fall Garden Clean up

Runtime: 1:39
842 views
0 Comments:

Time to Plant those Fall Shrubs!

Runtime: 1:34
946 views
0 Comments:

Bellingrath Gardens, Fall 2007.Part 1.

Runtime: 9:00
679 views
8 Comments:

Fall Perennial Planting

Runtime: 1:32
1401 views
1 Comments:

powered by YouTube

New Wikipedia

:For other uses of the term "Pruning", see Pruning (disambiguation).

Category: Image - :Prunedbushcloseup.jpg|thumb|right|Pruning: dense growth after shearing

Pruning in landscaping and gardening is the practice of removing diseased, non-productive, or otherwise unwanted portions from a plant. The purpose of pruning is to shape the plant by controlling or directing plant growth, to maintain the health of the plant, or to increase the yield or quality of flowers and fruits. Proper pruning is as much a skill as it is an art, since badly pruned plants can become diseased or grow in undesirable ways.

Proponents of pruning often argue that it improves the health of the plant and makes sturdier structure, opponents believe that pruning harms plants' "natural" forms and leads to wounding which may become infected.

In general the smaller the wound (smaller the branch that is cut) the less harm to the tree. It is therefore better to formative prune the tree when juvenile than try to cut off large branches on a mature tree.

There are also inconsistencies pertaining to pruning. How you would prune a rose, shrub, hedge, fruit tree and an amenity tree may be different.

Consequences with incorrect pruning performed to large trees can be dangerous. If a shrub was incorrectly pruned and a piece broke off it may not do much damage. However if a tree next to the house was incorrectly pruned and a large branch fell from 50' it could be deadly.

read the rest of the Wikipedia article

Comments Welcome!

Suggestions, ideas and personal experience. I'd love to hear from you.

seedplanter

You've put a lot of thought into this lens, Mari. Lots of great modules and good advice. As someone who sort of flies by the seat of my pants when it comes to gardening, I appreciate this!

Posted August 08, 2008

steveffeo

Mari excellent lens, 5 thumbs up

Posted January 21, 2008

KantosKan

Enjoyed the site :) Keep up the good work Ken Chandler

Vote Up

Vote Down

Garden calendar: early fall garden

Early fall garden guide: What to do in the yard an more...0 points

Gardening Blog Posts

See what other people are saying about fall gardening.

Sharing information is what gardening is all about.

Great Book for Fall Gardening!
Fall Gardening
this week’s RDN calendar
Fall Gardening To-Do List

Powered by Google