Fall Gardening

As fall settles in, and the change of season is fully upon us, there is a great deal of beauty that God has provided for us in the garden.

While some may say that this is a dismal time of year in the garden, there is, in fact, a large amount of color to be seen. When one thinks fall color, the changing of the color of leaves comes to mind. And, indeed, this is true.

Fall is a great time to take a walk outside, through the woods, or through the neighborhood, and enjoy the colors in the trees.

Even more, when a breeze blows those colored leaves from the sky to the ground, it provides another dazzling sight to the eyes, as yellows, reds, and oranges fill the sky.

Along with the leaves, some of my landscape trees are full of other colors and shapes, such as the crabapple trees throughout my gardens, providing both food to the stomach and delight to the eye.
Mums, or chrysanthemums, are another fall stalwart in the garden. There are so many colors and varieties to choose from, and they are wonderful plants to place in containers on the front porch, or in the garden, itself.

I have purple, yellow, orange, and white mums dotting my landscape right now, as they not only provide beauty to my garden, but they also attract wildlife, as well.

Speaking of attracting wildlife, the appropriately named Beauty Berry Bush is in full swing right now, as it’s metallic purple/pink berries dot the stems of this large bush.

Though it can be found throughout the wild, it is a wonderful bush for your landscape, as its berries live up to its namesake. Plus, birds will dine on them. Goldenrods are startling in their yellow boldness, and there are many to choose from when placing one in your garden.

Although you see these large yellow fernlike stalks dotting roadsides throughout our state this time of year, there are many cultivars that will do quite well in your garden. Goldenrod has the false reputation of causing hay fever. Blame this on the ragweed, instead.

My favorite fall plant is the Autumn Joy Sedum. This low maintenance plant has a pinkish hue to its large flower head, which is a main attraction to bees, butterflies, and even hummingbirds this time of year.

Autumn Joy is almost a fool proof plant in your garden, as it is drought resistant, and stands up to our heat and humidity with no ill effects. Plus, it is a wonderful plant to divide and transplant once it is established.

So, put on a light jacket and your walking shoes or boots, and take a walk outside to view God’s handywork in the fall garden. Better hurry. The calendar says Ole Man Winter will be here, soon. Enjoy!