After the bright colored blooms of spring and summer fade away, it’s time to decide if you want to keep an attractive landscape going into the fall.
Keeping in mind that perennial plants take longer to establish and will be around for a few years, it is much like a long-term investment. Annuals however are cheaper, typically last one season and maintain a bloom for a longer period than perennials.
To keep a garden full of color year-round, it is usually best to pair annuals with perennials that bloom at different times of the year.
Perennials need to be planted by bulb or seed and should be planted in the fall for a spring bloom. These plants spend their energy on developing strong roots and do not produce as many flowers as ready-to-go annual plants.
A quick way to pump some color in your garden for the fall is to plant hardy varieties of chrysanthemums. These flowers come in a wide selection of colors that go well with any garden and also attract pollinators like the migrating Monarch butterflies.
You can plant these along with asters, pansies, violas and snapdragons in the early fall to create a beautiful layout of multicolored flowers to last through the cooler months.
The late summer is a common time for annual flowers from the previous season to wear out and need to be replaced, so adding new plants into the garden will create a breath of fresh air.
For lawncare of warm season grasses, soil samples should be completed and nutrient amendments added by the end of August. This month also wraps up the proper time period for sodding and aerating your lawn.
Why let your hard work in the spring and summer to establish an attractive home landscape go to waste with the excuse of cooler weather coming?
Getting outside to provide the finishing touches to your landscape before the cool weather arrives will pay dividends when your flowerbeds and lawns are still thriving through the end of the year.
To learn more about tending to your flowerbeds and landscaping, contact your local Extension office and speak with a master gardener.
