Fall is upon us with vibrant colors, creating the tapestry of autumn. We all hope the inevitable journey of falling leaves will be delayed, so we can enjoy the splendid foliage and somehow postpone the onset of winter. We were blessed with wonderful warm October days and good drenching rains, providing much-needed moisture for shrubs and trees.
Our seasonal ritual of cutting back perennials, planting spring bulbs, assessing condition of our plants and – of course – raking leaves has begun. Don’t be too tidy in cutting back; keep those swaying tall grasses rustling in the breeze until February. They provide interesting winter form and give shelter to wildlife. Ornamental grasses are an outstanding source of color, texture and movement in the garden. Season after season, their spiky, twisted, colorful shapes fill gaps in borders and punctuate the garden’s outline. Read up on the many grasses available and make plans to add some to your garden.
Keep some of your perennials standing, leave some seed heads for visual enjoyment and see beauty in imperfection. Even the large-leaved hostas, so splendid during the summer, now yellowed and browned, are attractive in the fall and gently bend to the ground to be raked up in March.
Wait with fertilizing – you don’t want to promote growth at this time. When trees have dropped their leaves and before the snow falls, this is the desirable time to do “dormant feeding” of shrubs and trees. Liquid fertilizers allow plants to absorb nutrients, convert them into what they need for winter survival and store the rest to give them a good and healthy start in the spring.
Fall is an ideal time for dividing irises or else you may sacrifice next year’s blooms. Prepare the site that will be
home to the new transplants or pot
them up to share with your gardening friends. Irises
are heavy feeders – be
sure to work plenty of
compost into the new
site. When dividing
irises, carefully dig up
the entire clump (rhizomes,
roots and all). Use your hands to break new rhizomes
away from established clumps. Cut foliage at an angle down to 4-6 inches before replanting; discard any rhizomes that appear rotten or marred by insects or disease.
Those wonderful tall bearded irises prefer rich, well-drained soil in a sunny location. Siberian and Japanese irises should be planted about 12 inches apart with their rhizomes completely covered by 2 inches of soil. Siberian irises prefer sun to light shade and are an early spring delight.
The buzz for spring 2008:
One of the coolest, “must have” plants is the Shockwave Petunia series. This baby debuts in 2008 with high voltage color and extreme proliferation of small blooms. It packs a colorful punch all season long – watch for it.
Progress made a rather sizeable leap forward with Geranium “Rozanne,” declared the 2008 Perennial Plant of the Year. It is still blooming in my garden and will do so until the first frost, lending a splash of vibrant violet-blue color. Its easy-care garden performance is a plus as well.
An exciting event at N.Y. Botanical Garden: KIKU, The Art of the Japanese Chrysanthemum. Be sure not to miss the show, which runs through Nov. 18.
“Being the best at what you do is something you accomplish through passion, perseverance and practice.”
Gotti Kelley, past president of the Navesink Garden Club, serves on the board of the Garden Club of New Jersey.