Garden Bouquets and Beyond by Suzy Bales

Author:Suzy Bales [Suzy Bales]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781605291512
Publisher: Rodale
Published: 2010-07-14T16:00:00+00:00

A mock topiary decorated with rose hips and bittersweet among the maple and sweetgum leaves. Reindeer moss hides the base.

GARDEN TIPS FOR FALL

Invest in fall perennials. Most summer perennials blossom for only a few weeks. Fall bloomers—monkshood, hardy ageratum, salvias, and Japanese anemone among them—keep their flowers coming for months. Check to see what works in your area and purchase by mail order or at local nurseries. Most fall perennials can be planted in spring, summer, or fall, whenever you find them for sale.

After the first killing frost, dig up dahlia tubers for winter storage. Each spring, cut the oldest tubers apart before replanting them. There are plenty to give away. Dahlias are one of the most giving plants.

Sages, with their brightly colored flowers, stiff stems, and scented foliage, are butterfly and hummingbird magnets. Because of its running rootstock, anise-scented sage becomes a large patch in a few years in areas where winters stay above 10°F.

Sheffield mums grow without fussing in my heavy clay soil, their clumps spreading by underground runners. I’ve lopped off a clump for almost everyone in the neighborhood. Monarch butterflies, too, are happy with my choice and flock to the salmon pink flowers.

The same species of trees or shrubs growing near each other don’t always color up at the same time or in exactly the same way. I have a sweetgum near my driveway that has bright color for 2 weeks or more before another one 30 feet away shows any color at all. So, enjoy fall’s surprises!

When fall leaves burst into color, and shrubs and vines are covered in berries, it’s time to prune and to use the branches, foliage, and berries for bouquets. (Why prune in a season when the cuttings would just lie on your compost heap?)

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