Fall Splendour

The quick snap of cooler weather brings a brilliant display of fall colours. Reds, oranges, yellows, and rusts burst forth to brighten our once green trees and shrubs. It’s always such a welcome sight!

If you are someone who sees the fall season only as a sure sign that summer is coming to an end, try to be positive — summer will return in due time. For now, take the time to enjoy the change of season.

Your Garden Can Be Beautiful Year-round

There is no reason to let the end of summer ruin your love for your garden. Get creative. Enjoy the gorgeous colours.

Your hard working annuals have done a great job for you this summer. By now, they’re getting very tired and bedraggled. Pull them out and replace them with lovely fall mums, cabbages, and kale. The transformation is gorgeous and well worth the effort.

Gorgeous Planters

Change up your planters to fall colours. The rules for creating stunning planter displays?  They’re the same as in summer:

1. Thrillers (centrepiece).
2. Fillers (surrounding your main event).
3. Spillers (cascading over the side of your planter).  

Be sure to include decorating your entrance way for that finishing touch.

The fall season offers two great holidays to celebrate the fall season and its gorgeous colours: Thanksgiving with a burst of colour and then the excitement of Halloween for the kids.

Fall Gardening Tips

Other tasks that need to be done during the fall season include:

• Plant colourful bulbs to welcome spring.
• Divide Irises, Hostas, and Lilies that have overgrown their space.
• Replenish mulch, especially around tender plants.
• Move indoor plants that have been outside closer to the house to help them transition back to their original environment.
• Use a bag attachment to collect the fallen leaves on your lawns and add them to your composter.
• Remove weeds from patios and gardens.
• Topdress and overseed your lawns. This step is very important — it’s been 11 years since the pesticide ban. It’s time to embrace environmental controls. A thick lawn is your best defense to keep weed growth to a minimum.
• Watch for critters in the garden. Use pinwheel decorations or moving ornaments in the gardens to help reduce animals. (A great tip from a fellow gardener on how she stopped raccoons from ripping into her lawns and gardens.) Solar lights are also a good deterrent for nocturnal critters.
• Take lots of pictures of your garden. Winter is coming and that’s the perfect time to plan your landscaping changes for next year. Those pictures will be worth their weight in gold in working on your next project!

Green Thumb has over 47 years of experience planting and creating beautiful gardens. If you need help getting your property in shape for the season, call us. We’re here to help.