Fall Gardens

It may sound surprising, but gardening in autumn can be one of the most enjoyable times to spend in your yard. While most people are spending their time in apple orchards or pumpkin patches, enjoying the fall foliage is sure to bring you joy during this season. Even though it feels like our wonderful pollinating friends can’t be doing much work this late in the season, late-blooming perennials (and even annuals) provide them with nectar to get them through the winter. In addition, with less sunlight comes less chlorophyll in plants, so we get to see an abundance of vibrancy and beauty.

Give Autumn the Welcome

You may notice yourself filling up the bird feeder less and less as we move into fall. This is because seed heads from many flowers, such as thistle, coneflower, sunflower, iris, goldenrod, and trees including Dogwood, Winterberry, and Viburnum feed, become plentiful for the birds in our area, keeping them fed as we head into winter.

As you spend time in your garden this fall, don’t forget to save the fallen leaves, stems, and autumn foliage for composting. Now is also the time to plant bulbs, so when spring finally does arrive on the East Coast, you can view the beauty of new Tulips, Hyacinth, Iris, Lillies, or Daffodils. An old friend of mine would say that planting bulbs are like planting promises.

Breathe in the Change

Nature always seems to give us great advice for life. While our beautiful plants and trees become dormant in the fall, it is an excellent time for us to relax and find rest as well. Take a drive down a winding road and appreciate the open spaces between trees and shrubs, the longer shadows, winter silhouettes, tree and shrub bark.

Remember that while the birds have plenty of food from fall seed heads, feeding them with a beautiful bird feeder throughout the winter and spring will bring you a lot of joy.

Now go outside and breathe in the coming change. Enjoy!