Where did summer go?! The mornings are getting colder and we keep looking to see if the leaves are going to start changing color. As the seasons start to change, there are a few things that you can do to prepare your garden and lawn for fall.

Prepare Your Garden for Fall

Continue with your regular upkeep, and know that you can continue planting safely until October. Perennials like anemones, Black-eyed Susans, and Autumn Joy sedums will add beautiful color to your gardens. Anemones can bloom in full shade in September and October, and is a great option if you’re looking to add something new to your garden at this time. 

Autumn is the perfect time to divide your perennials as the soil is warm enough for root development, and the new plant won’t have to use energy on blooms and foliage. Now is also the time to plant spring-blooming bulbs in your garden! This is one of our favorite things to do, because it gives us something to look forward to after the snow!

If you do plant anything new in your garden, make sure to water every other day up through the beginning of winter so the plants can take root. Adding a good compost mixture to your current soil will also give an added boost of nutrients that will help establish the roots of your new plants.

If you need to work on cleaning your gardens, focus on cutting back yellowing foliage. Don’t put anything that is or could be diseased into your compost, where it can grow and spread. Clean fallen leaves out of your beds to keep them from rotting. If you don’t and they get too wet, they can hold too much moisture on the plants over the winter. You can also spread mulch at this time to be ready for the spring. And who doesn’t like to be ahead of the game?

Prepare Your Lawn for Fall

As for the lawn, you should fertilize with any fall fertilizer. As the weather gets colder, cut your lawn short, especially the last cut of the season. When the snow comes, tall grass can bend under the weight of the snow and cause rot, or more commonly, snow mold. Keep an eye on the weather, as we can have dry weather in September and October and your lawn can still dry out. Most importantly, keep in mind that a good, healthy lawn will keep the grubs at bay come spring!

Let us know if there’s anything we can do to help you prepare your garden and lawn for fall! Come visit our Garden Center for any supplies you may need, or to talk with our garden and lawn experts.