Getting Ready For Fall Gardening

September is a good time to set out landscape plants. Shop early to find the nicest shrubs. Make sure to check the roots and make sure they are clear and not root bound. Autumn's cooler air temperatures are easier on both plants and gardeners. The soil is still warm, allowing roots to grow until the ground freezes. If your planning on planting a tree = this is the best time of year.

This is also a great time to start planting the seed for a beautiful spring garden - it all begins in the fall. Some of the most beautiful plants and flowers to emerge under the warmth of the sun include lilies, hostas, peonies, irises, ferns and ornamental grasses.

Set out new chrysanthemum plants this month. Even before the temperature drops, containers of mums arrive at your local garden store just waiting for you to make the perfect mum arrangement for your front door. They add such a delightful pop of color to your home and garden entry. These easy to grow fall flowers come in orange, red, yellow, and even white. They make a colorful impact and great display without much trouble. Deciding what variety and color of mum to plant will be the hardest part of this process.

Planting pansies is another way to add color to your yard in the autumn, winter and spring months. Pansies perform best in cooler weather, and are therefore usually planted in fall and will last until late spring. They don't mind a light frost or snow. They like rich, well-drained soil high in organic matter, and full sun or partial shade. Remember, pansies will flower even more profusely and longer if spent flower heads are removed. Pansies are generally not affected by diseases or insects. However, where slugs are common, they will not bypass a bed of pansies. Either set out slug traps or sprinkle a bit of diatomaceous earth around the plants.

Groundcovers will become well established if planted now because the winter rains will help get the plants off to a good start. Though ground covers are tough, they'll grow and spread more quickly if you prepare the planting area carefully. Always get a soil test before planting anything in your garden. Help maintain soil moisture and prevent weed seeds from growing, you can spread a 2- to 4-inch-thick layer of an organic mulch between the young plants, taking care not to cover the plants' crowns.

This is a great time to plant a Fall vegetable garden to extent your summer crop. Keep harvesting fresh produce after earlier crops have finished. The fall harvest can be extended even further by providing protection from early frosts or by planting in cold frames or hotbeds.