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10. Prep Your Pipes
In cold-winter regions, shut off any exterior water systems before cold weather hits. Then open the tap and drain the lines to prevent damage. Finally, disconnect any hoses. Do the same for any water lines leading to an outdoor kitchen.
At the same time, drain and clean any outdoor water features, such as fountains and ponds.
In warmer regions, check that your irrigation system is still working correctly. Repair or replace any sprinkler heads or drip system components as needed. Cut back on watering frequency as the weather cools. If rainfall is sufficient, turn the system off.
Even if you live in a warmer area, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on winter forecasts. Insulate exterior pipes and taps if a freeze is predicted, especially one that will last several days. Another option is to open the taps slightly to allow water to slowly drip out.
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2. Maintain as Needed
Keep on top of garden maintenance even as you relax your winter cleanup approach. Remove dead or weak branches from trees and shrubs to prevent them from breaking off and causing damage during storms. You’ll also want to remove any rotting stems on herbaceous perennials, and any diseased foliage.
Replace fading annuals with cool-season choices — especially in warm-winter areas — to keep some pops of color in your landscape. Remove and compost any remaining warm-season annual edibles and herbs. Prune back woody herbs that can handle the cold, such as rosemary and thyme, by about two-thirds to prepare them for winter. To eke out the last of the harvest, dry any herbs and preserve the last of any fruits and vegetables.
Are there annuals and annual edibles, such as tomatoes, that you love having in your garden? Before you move them to the compost pile, gather some seeds to get started for next year.
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7. Celebrate Leaves
Take in the fall foliage on a hiking trail, at a local park or in your yard. Turn raking leaves from a chore into a chance to appreciate Mother Nature’s show. Once you have a pile of leaves, it might just be time to channel your inner child and jump in.
Rather than immediately bagging your leaves, consider using some or all of them as a natural mulch. You can spread a thin layer over your garden beds or lawn, allowing the leaves to decompose and add nutrients to the soil. Don’t make the layer too thick, especially over a lawn, as you don’t want to kill whatever might be growing underneath. Use a lawnmower or garden shredder to turn the leaves into smaller pieces.
5 Ways to Put Fall Leaves to Work in Your Garden
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3. Purple Coneflower and Russian Sage
Purple coneflower and Russian sage make an all-star combination for late-summer and fall perennial beds. Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea, zones 3 to 8), native to Eastern North America, are cold-hardy perennials that bloom for months, attracting native bees and butterflies. After the bloom, the flowers’ spiky deep-orange centers can be left in the garden as decorative seedpods (and a feast for birds).
With its pale stems and delicate lavender-blue flowers, Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia, zones 5 to 9) adds an airy quality to beds, appearing like a pale-colored cloud when planted in drifts. Russian sage blooms from July to October.
Both plants are drought-tolerant, making them a good pair for a tough, low-water spot like this sidewalk garden by Garden Stories in Portland, Oregon.
Water requirement: Moderate to low, once established
Light requirement: Full sun
20 Favorite Flowers for the Fall Landscape
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Warm-winter climates. Many bulbs, including favorites such as daffodils and tulips, require the winter chill to bloom. If you live in a warmer area, you’ll need to buy your bulbs early in the season and chill them in your refrigerator for six weeks before planting.
While some bulbs that need a colder winter may rebloom when planted in the garden, many will produce only leaves in subsequent years. To get a good show, consider treating bulbs like annuals.
Cold-winter climates. Winter chill isn’t an issue for cold-hardy bulbs, but freeze-and-thaw cycles can damage them. If the ground won’t be covered in snow or frozen, provide a layer of mulch.
You may also need to dig up tender bulbs such as canna lilies, dahlias and gladioluses, and overwinter them in a cool, dry location.
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Gardens of every shape and size can be places of sanctuary — somewhere to go to rejuvenate and take a break from the rush of daily life. But while the calming ability of gardens is universal, what specifically brings you a feeling of serenity in a garden can be quite personal. You might prefer smooth lawns and neatly trimmed shrubs, while others may feel more at ease in gardens that are a little bit wild, with rambling vines and fallen leaves left on walkways.
If you’re looking for ways to feel more at peace in your garden, here are nine ideas for cultivating serenity. Which ones resonate with your vision of a tranquil garden?
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We’ve all experienced it: blistering temperatures, above our typical summer averages, that have us flocking to the comfort of our homes. But what about the plants in our gardens? Unless they are in a pot and can be brought indoors, plants are stuck outside, bearing the brunt of the heat wave with no escape. Most summers have a period of abnormally high temperatures that can be highly stressful for plants, resulting in wilting, sunburn and even death.
Thankfully, there are methods we can use to moderate the damaging effects of a heat wave. We will go over five ways to help your plants survive the heat, and look at how to determine if you can revive a “fried” plant.
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Costs
You can find small fountain kits for $50 or even less. A slighter larger fountain, whether bought as a kit or assembled on your own, more likely will run in the $100-to-$500 range. More elaborate installations, especially ones that involve hiring a pro for electrical, plumbing and construction work, can cost between $1,000 and $10,000. You can pay considerably higher, though, depending on the design and features.
Also, expect an increase in your water bill if you run your fountain full time. Your electric bill also may increase unless you are using solar power. These increases may be modest, but they could be much more if you have a large fountain. It’s often recommended to keep your fountain running, both for aesthetics and to prevent wear on the pump, but you can turn it off at night.
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It can be surprising how much plastic we use in the landscape. There are those single-use black pots that garden center plants come in, for example, as well as plastic seed trays, plant labels and twine.
But with a little thought, you can replace these unsustainable items with more environmentally friendly alternatives. Use wooden labels and traditional garden string, and seek out garden centers that will recycle the black plant pots. Also, hunt around for biodegradable seed trays that will break down into the soil when they reach the end of their lifespan.
When you’re planning outdoor structures such as greenhouses, opt for glass instead of plastic if possible. The initial cost may be higher, but a model glass will last a lot longer than a cheaper plastic one.