Happy Autumn Equinox!
It’s officially the first day of fall, my favorite season. Although, it sure doesn’t feel like fall when today’s forecasted high is 88 degrees. ::grumbles:: Anywho… Autumn is a beautiful time of year with its own rich color scheme. I love crunching through the fallen leaves on hiking trails or sitting on the patio at night next to a fire with a mug of mulled cider. Of course, I love getting out in the garden too. It’s definitely more comfortable (when it isn’t 88 degrees) to be outside working. Most people don’t think of planting time in autumn, but there’s actually a whole lot of planting you can (and should) do now.
Flower Bulbs
Those colorful crocus, daffodils and tulips that herald in the early days of spring get planted in the fall. The bulbs need to chill (literally) in-ground as part of their growth cycle. Here in zone 7B, I’ll wait until the temperatures drop a little more before I plant them though. I don’t want them sending up leaves that will just get killed off during a freeze and probably prevent them from coming up next year at all.
Trees and Shrubs
Planting your trees and shrubs now should give them time to get established before the first frost. I don’t plan on planting anything new this year, but I have some butterfly bushes that I want to move…if they ever stop blooming. Speaking of, though I have heard they can be somewhat invasive if you aren’t careful, butterfly bushes are AWESOME for attracting all sorts of pollinators. I have seen a major increase in them around here since I put them in. I’ve even seen a few hummingbirds hanging around from time to time. The blooms are pretty too.
Vegetables
There are lots of edibles that are meant to grow in cooler temperatures. Spinach, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, and collard greens are just a few of the things you can plant right now to enjoy homegrown goodness in the colder months. Many varieties are frost tolerant and actually taste better after a light frost. Other plants have a short enough number of ‘days to harvest’ that they can be planted now and harvested before the first killing frost. Radishes and some varieties of carrots come to mind. Since I have raised beds that I can cover, I keep carrots going year-round. The growth is sloooooow once it gets cold, but I figure that I have the empty space. I might as well put it to use.
So remember: just because the leaves are getting ready to drop, it doesn’t mean you have to hang up your shovel for the next 6 months. There are still plenty of green things you can enjoy growing for many months to come. Do you have any favorites that I have left out? Feel free to leave a comment or send me an email. Happy First Day of Fall!
My Fall Garden-A Work in Progress
Here is a small taste of what I have going on in my vegetable garden right now. Besides the banana peppers, I have seven more pepper plants producing, a couple of tomato plants hanging on, and a lot of other things. AND I still have a bunch of seedlings to put out over the next few weeks, but not all the beds are empty or ready yet. I’m also waiting for my order of garlic to come in. I am way too excited about that! One thing I’ll say about this time of year: it sure is hard to be patient.
