In the garden: Garden to-dos for the fall

Sue Goetz

guest columnist

The first day of autumn arrives Sept. 22, a day when the sun rises directly in the east and sets directly in the west, ready to make its transition lower in the sky for winter.

No matter what the temperature gauge says, nature’s signals are out there. The days are getting shorter, leaves are turning and the mornings have a misty coolness to them.

Now is the time to renew, refresh and evaluate. In the garden, a busy spring and summer steals away the time to take a slow, lingering look at what is really happening.

Fall is a good time to walk through and make a to-do list.

Fall garden tasks

Fall color in potted gardens

Mark your calendar on the first day of fall to change summer color plantings in potted gardens.

Add cool-weather lovers like mums, kale and pansies.

A note about freezing pottery: Most is frostproof if it’s well made and drilled with drainage holes. The threat to all pottery in freezing temperatures is the 20-degree mark, when ice in the pot will expand, causing pressure and breakage.

A worse danger at 32 degrees or colder is to the potted plants: The root system can freeze and die because of a lack of ground insulation. The pot may survive, but the plants won’t.

In cold snaps, move pots into the garage, or wrap them in a warm blanket or large sheets of bubble wrap if they can’t be moved.

Ugly, maybe, but gardeners can go to extremes to protect their babies.

Divide to multiply

Plant division seems to be one of the intimidating prospects for new gardeners. Did I do it correctly? Is it the right time? What is the point, anyway?

In the perennial world, many herbaceous varieties perform better when divided. A freshly divided plant spends energy toward healthy growth rather than keeping the extra baggage alive.

In the process, the extra plants can be transplanted along mixed borders and garden beds for repetition.

A clue to the right time to divide plants is its bloom time. A good rule of thumb: Divide spring- and summer-blooming plants in the fall and fall bloomers in the spring. Fall dividers include daylilies, daffodils and other bulbs, lilacs and peonies.

Berries, bulbs and winter blooms

Look at areas that need a fresh flush of color in another season. Good garden design doesn’t show bias to one season; it has something for every one.

Choose plants that add seasonal interest with interesting bark, berries, winter blooms or evergreen architecture. Fall-planted spring flowering bulbs planted en masse will add a wash of early color next year.

Fall is for planting

Trees and shrubs are the plants that really benefit from a planting this time of year.

Fall is the best time to plant hedges and trees. Add the bone structure in the garden now.

Natural rainfall and plant dormancy take the stress off the plants that will get a head start on growth in early spring.

If you do nothing else for your landscape design this season, plant the trees and shrubs, and put the details of annuals and perennials in next spring.

‘To garden’

The word “garden” is definitely a verb in the Pacific Northwest, as our climate lets us work year-around. Seems something always needs to be done.

Take the slower pace of the garden this time of year to tidy and clean up.

Make notes for changes, plot and plan for enjoyment in all seasons.

Sue Goetz, CPH, is a garden consultant, designer, speaker and writer from Gig Harbor. Visit www.thecreativegardener.com or e-mail questions to be answered in this column to info@thecreativegardener.com.