Summer comes to a close this month, and that means that it's time to get back to work in the garden. With a little time and planning each fall, you can enjoy better landscaping year after year.
* Remove faded and droopy summer annuals and replace them with hardier flowers. Pansies can take a beating through a light frost and will provide a splash of color through the fall. Mums are also a great choice.
* Plant any new evergreens during September and keep them well-watered until the ground freezes.
* Plant any new deciduous trees and shrubs. Use root-stimulating fertilizer to encourage root growth.
* Divide any overgrown spring blooming perennials and water them thoroughly after re-planting. After a hard frost, cut the perennials to the ground.
* Plant spring-blooming bulbs. Make sure to consider color and height, placing smaller bulbs toward the front of your garden where you'll be able to see them in the spring.
* If you have a vegetable garden, pull out the plants as soon as they finish producing and begin to wither.
* If you have bare patches on your lawn, the cooler weather is a great time for re-seeding or patching with sod because of decreased weed competition.
* Potted plants that go outdoors during the warmer months should come back inside. Use this time to remove damaged stems and leaves with yellowing, holes, or spots.
* Plant the rosebush of your dreams. Fall is a good time to plant roses, just not hybrid tea-style roses, which will not establish sufficient roots before winter.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.
