Can you believe it is already fall? Many of us have been looking forward to autumn. Cooler temperatures, beautiful fall foliage and football is what I really love about the fall season. This is a good time of the year to get out and enjoy your garden if the summer heat hasn’t melted everything away in your landscape. This is also a good time to consider planting fall colors.

Here are a few plants to consider:

Mums -There are early, mid and late blooming varieties. They will bloom for two to three weeks. Some varieties will bloom for six weeks in the landscape. Mums thrive in well-drained soils. After purchase remove the original container and transplant to a larger container or into the ground.

Pansies (Delta, Colossus, Giant) – The best time to plant is in October. The warm days and cool nights of October are ideal for growing and establishing pansies before the onset of cold weather.

Violas (Penny and Sorbet) – Violas prefer more shady sites than pansies. The flower patterns are “Faces” and “Clear”. They will bloom until spring even in snowy weather.

Dusty Miller and Dianthus – They will not perform well and may die if it gets too cold and wet.

Ornamental Cabbage, Kale and Snapdragons – These plants will not perform well and may die if it gets too cold and wet.

When purchasing your plants, please inspect them for pests and diseases. You don’t want to introduce them to your flower beds.

When preparing beds be sure to add organic material to build up the soil and improve drainage. Don’t forget to add the fertilizer of your choice to the beds. Additionally, add two to three inches of mulch around your plants and give them a good watering and they will be ready to do their thing!

I hope to get my pansies in the ground soon. It is something I enjoy doing, especially since the weather is so inviting this time of the year!

Until next time, happy gardening!