Jennifer Finelli, Community Engagement Manager, Bucks Beautiful
As the hot weather wanes and some of our summer blooms begin to fade, there’s no need to lament that the gardening season is drawing to a close. For many, gardening has become more of a full-year pursuit. Rather than thinking about September and October as just clean-up time, gardeners can use the fall season for exploring cool weather vegetable crops and late season perennials. Fall is also an excellent time for planning next year’s garden while this year’s challenges are still fresh in our minds. Even a chilly winter day can be a gardener’s opportunity for seed starting and winter sowing as we await another spring day.
Fall is a great time to take stock, perform proper sanitation of diseased plants and make some appropriate pruning cuts to ensure your garden’s health and productivity. It can also be a great opportunity to explore cool season plants such as mums, pansies and ornamental cabbages to re-invigorate your landscape. In pollinator gardens, some of our late season perennials such as asters and goldenrod are just beginning to come into their glory. Other native perennials like echinacea, milkweeds and rudbeckia are starting to lose their vigor, but it’s a perfect opportunity for seed collection if you’re interested in further propagation or seed-sharing. While sorting out those spent blooms, it’s important to also leave some stems and seed pods for pollinators. Having some intact material such as dried blossoms and seed heads also provide a bit of winter visual interest, as well as winter habitat spaces.
As the last of the cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes are being harvested, it’s an ideal time to prepare your soil for your cooler temperature crops. Getting rid of any weeds that have built up and making any amendments to the soil, such as adding compost, can pave the way for a solid crop of fall plantings such as brussel sprouts, lettuces, garlic and radishes. While the garlic won’t be harvested until the following spring or early summer, it can be a great way to utilize what would otherwise be an empty bed. Some gardeners also make use of winter cover crops to release nutrients back into the soil for the following spring.
One additional way to stay garden-connected past fall and into winter is through seed starting. Many gardeners use basic windowsill seed starting methods and others have more complex grow light set-ups. More recently, the concept of winter sowing has grown in popularity, as it’s an inexpensive and simple way to create your own greenhouse and grow your own plants from seed. There are many resources available for the home gardener to stay engaged year-round and part of the enjoyment and satisfaction is the learning process!
Bucks Beautiful is a grassroots non-profit that funds community garden projects, tree plantings, events and educational programs to develop sustainable and attractive landscapes fostering a healthier environment. To become a member, or contribute to the cause, please call 215-340-3639 or visit bucksbeautiful.org