As the days get shorter and the nights colder, my mind turns from caring for the plants in my garden to prepping for next year. These are likely the final few weeks of temperate conditions for outdoor garden work and I want to make the most of it.
Clearing Beds
Now is a great time (while fall rains make the ground soft) to clear out some new planting areas for next year. This gives me a jump start on planning for spring, and is easy enough to do when there aren't as many jobs in the garden. Once the bed is cut and cleared, I like to put some compost mix on it to decompose over the winter.
Removing Plants That Didn't Work
Since I'm in a new garden, I've still been watching some plants that were here before me to decide if I want them to stay or maybe move them. This year I've been thinking about re-landscaping around our lamp post in the front yard, and there's a really old shrub rose that has seen better days there currently. I pruned it in early spring but it still didn't do much this year, so I've decided to remove it and replace it next year. This is a good time of year to clear out plants that didn't perform and can be replaced with something better next year.
Working on Compost
We'll keep collecting the leaves that don't get mulched into the lawn and build up the compost pile. I'll add coffee grounds to the pile over the winter (those are "greens") to help balance out all the brown leaves and encourage them to break down.
Thinking About Multi-Season Color
As I've been clearing out the summer annuals from the garden, I've been thinking about how to add more fall color to the beds. Next year I'm going to look for Asters (they bloom a beautiful purple) and more varieties of Sedum to keep color going in the garden through until the first hard freeze.
Developing Spring Plant Plans
We're going to have a lot more inside time this winter, and I'll be using some of that time to start researching and shopping for seeds and plants for spring. For the best selection from online sources, you will want to buy early. Seeds can be stored until March when you start them indoors and retailers will hold on shipping plants or roots until the planting window opens in your area. Shopping early is how you will get the most interesting varieties for your garden.
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