Buds

Although I love full Spring/Summer, this time of year is great, too. I love to look around every day and see the new buds and starts that are coming up! I like to look at the trees and shrubs and know that they have buds and are not dead yet...

I love the potential waiting to burst into bloom!!

My Yard in the Fall

I love the seasons!! Since I grew up basically without them (in Florida) I love all of the changes! I can even appreciate the snow in October! I do have trouble with it in April, though!

Living in Utah, I've also come to enjoy colors other than green. There is beauty even in the gray!

So, here are some pictures of my yard in the fall!

Fall Gardening

So, fall is quickly approaching and it seems that the garden is finishing up. But there are plenty of things you can do to enjoy your time outside as well as make next year's garden even better.

First, keep enjoying the harvest for as long as you can! Many things are still ripening and I think you should stretch that out as long as possible!

You can start planning for next year and making things ready for you then. After you are done harvesting veggies, you can turn the soil over or till it under for next year. There are also crops that you can grow as "green manure". They protect the soil from erosion as well as provide compost in the spring. They can also help you in the never-ending battle with weeds! You can plant several types of vetches, peas, clovers and other crops and then till it under in the spring. The plants can add nutrients back into the soil. Several of the options help fix the nitrogen that is already in the soil and make it more available to other plants. Fall and Winter are great times to start thinking about what you want to do in the Spring. You can evaluate the things that went well or poorly and think about what to do about it!

Fall is also a great time to plant perennials! The weather is cooler and they will have a chance to really get their roots growing. Then, as soon as the snow melts and things start to warm up, those plants are ready to go! Plus, in the fall, many greenhouses are trying to thin out their supply of plants, so they have huge clearances in the fall! We have gotten some really great deals in the fall!

As I said in my last post, spring bulbs need to be planted now. Also, pansies will do better if you plant them in the fall. They thrive in cooler weather and I actually have seen some flower if the snow comes off of them at all! (Pansies are even edible, but that is for another post!)

You can also spend some time dividing perennials in the fall. They will have the same advantages as any plant you choose to put in in the fall and many of them need to be divided every few years to stay vigorous.

So, don't pack everything up for Spring. There is plenty to do in the garden in the fall. It's even cooler and more comfortable weather!

What to do for Your Garden in Winter

I know I haven't posted here in a long time, but I have gotten interested in improving this blog, again! I thought since it is November, it would be a good time to think about preparing the garden for winter and what you can still do in the winter.

There are many things that your garden needs to be ready for winter and so that you have a nice canvas to work with in the spring. If you weed, cut back and clean up your yard, now, you can start fresh in the spring! They may not be the most interesting gardening chores, but the time will be well spent and you'll be glad of it in the spring!

There are tons of things you can do. Go take a look at these sites for lots of ideas!
Calendar
Garden Calendar
Year Round Gardening Projects Calendar

As these say, make sure to continue to water trees and shrub until the ground is frozen. If the year isn't very wet, and the ground thaws, you may want to add more water through out the year.

When it's too cold, and you just don't want to go outside, it is the perfect time to plan for spring. What do you want to plant? Is there an area in your yard that needs planning and a new design? Now is a perfect time to spend with the new catalogs and to plan what you want to do. You don't have to be out there pulling weeds, so why not plan what will replace the snow?

Here are a few sites to look at for planning!
Timberpress has books about gardening.
High Country Gardens sells beautiful water wise plants.
Willard Bay Gardens has a wonderful selection and lots of information on their site.
Square Foot Gardening is a different way to garden. Go check it out!

Happy Gardening!!