Ten Things To Do In Fall
Garden Clippings for Oct 29, 2022
Cheryl and I took advantage of the wonderful weather this week to do the bulk of our fall clean-up. We stacked up the outdoor furniture and put it in the garden shed, and put the cushions indoors, for fear of mice damage in the shed.
Here is our list of garden related duties that we tackled:
- Summer flowers were removed from their containers and tossed into the compost heap. Many still looked fine, but their end was in sight. Most of the pots were cleaned up and stacked up against the side of the house or put in the garden shed.
- For the front yard containers, we ripped out the annual flowers and planted brightly coloured fall mums in their place. The mums put a fresh new face on the front of the house, and they will remain colourful for several weeks, provided we water faithfully.
- Every fall we add a few tulips and daffodils throughout the backyard garden. Fall bulbs are inexpensive and will welcome spring with surprising colour. We plant them in clusters for maximum show. I like tulips because I can choose colours, heights, and blooming time. I prefer using daffodils for more informal impact in woodland settings. Fall bulbs will bloom every spring for many consecutive years.
- The perennials were cut down. All the latest gardening advise suggests that it is a good idea to leave foliage, stems and old flower heads of perennials in place through fall and winter, but we like to look at a tidy garden in winter. Leaving the garden “as is” insulates the soil and benefits birds, insects and small animals. As a compromise, Cheryl and I clean up the tallest and most scraggly looking stems, leaving the low
- foliage and flowers intact for clean-up in spring if necessary. We will leave the Hostas to clean up in spring.
- Summer and fall of this year has been drier than normal, so we will water the garden periodically in order to keep moisture levels in plants up to snuff. Deciduous plants are not concerned, but evergreens need ample moisture in fall to prevent drying winter desiccation.
- The task of cleaning up tools has begun. I have good quality tools and with proper care, they will last many years. I have already cleaned up the pruners and small tools and in a few weeks I will drain the hoses, and clean up the wheelbarrow and larger tools.
- Transplanting trees, shrubs and perennials can be done until the ground freezes, although the window of opportunity is soon closing for certain evergreens and some tender perennials. Deciduous trees and shrubs as well as new plants that are potted in containers can easily be planted until December.
- Add mulch. A fresh layer of mulch placed over the soil in garden beds will retain soil moisture, keep weeds down, provide insulation and improve soil nutrients.
- Clean up leaves: Your lawn and garden does not have to be squeaky clean before winter. If you can tolerate the mess, consider leaving fallen leaves on the ground through winter, thus mimicking the forest floor. Plants that are often bothered by fungus, such as roses, flowering crabs and tomato plants should be cleaned up to avoid fungus from overwintering in the soil.
