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Strange stalks of flowers emerge from the ground -
Hidden Lily Wild Ginger - tumeric. |
The local stores are putting their gardening equipment on clearance. Most people think the season is over, except for raking leaves.
Here are some fun activities for a time when the sun no longer scorches and the winds blow fair and cool.
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Fennel is another beneficial bug plant.
I may grow some in the Butterfly Garden. |
Seeds and Leftovers
I used to run to Walgreen's at this time, to buy $2 seed packets for a dime or two each. The price takes the timidity out of the gardener, so it can be a way of trying some new plants.
My best deal was a bunch of Hidden Lily Wild Ginger, which now multiplies like Cana but is cold hardy. I got a bunch for $15 and they sell for up to $20 each in the spring fever season. I have given several away, but the roots "stay" and regrow.
Fall - aka Hardy Bulbs
One large class of bulbs is planted in the fall, because they require a cold winter to bloom in the spring. In my opinion, Dutch Gardens is the best in price and quality. Northern climes favor fall bulbs, so I only grow daffodiles. Some others to consider are tulips, grape hyacinths, and various kinds of flowering garlic.
Shrubs, Bushes, and Trees
From early fall to a warm spring, these plants get settled and rooted, but they are discounted in the fall. This opens up two possibilities. One is buying something; the other is moving a few around.
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| Hosta and Ornamental Kale are the salads grown for color. |
Hosta
Ranger Bob was dismissive of our spare garden, perhaps because I only had Poke Weed and a few Blackberries there. Now it has some new Hosta plants, which I can transfer as they get stronger, next year.
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| Clethra is tiny, so tiny beneficial insects and butterflies love it. |
Fall Moving Season
Mints move easily if one can get into the root mass. This is a big plant family so the roots can be horribly tough and invasive (Catnip) or easily regrown and moved (Bergamot).
If someone is lucky enough to have plenty of autumn rain, it is a good time to move, remove, or give away roses. Our friends want to build up their roses, so I donate roses that are badly positioned. Some areas get shady and then the roses barely bloom.
I moved two Clethra successfully, so now they are stars of the rose garden rather than wallflowers of the bird feeding garden. The Chaste Trees, Beautyberry, and Gooseberry elbowed Clethra out of the way, so now the two Clethras (Summersweet) are head and shoulders above the roses.
I really wanted one Chaste Tree up front, but we killed it by trying to move a mature, small tree. I learned too that clay needs a long soak to make it friendly for diggers the next day.
I am looking for a big rain to see if I can dislodge Cat Mint and Mountain Mint. I do not want to get rid of them in the rose garden, but let them dominate the wild area under the maple. They can fill in areas where weeds want to dominate.
We were hacking at one Mountain Mint, to no avail, in the dry season. I remember being worried that our helper buried the baby plant under mulch. I should have known when it burst through newspapers and mulch that it was a big, tough, brawny plant.
Creation Gardening Books
Our dental hygienist wanted a Creation Gardening book. She knew almost nothing about gardening and enjoys studying the Bible.
Our neighbor's brother-in-law brought up the subject. "Do you have any more gardening books?" I thought he meant a new title. No, he wanted the same book his sister-in-law had.
