| Fall watering alert and other chores | |
Although temperatures are cooler, it's important to continue to make sure that plants get enough water throughout the fall season. Plants should not go into winter under stressful conditions. Here are some guidelines:
Water all evergreens, trees and shrubs (especially those planted in the last three years) thoroughly with about 3 inches of water and continue until the ground freezes.
Plant new trees throughout the month. Water carefully until the soil thoroughly freezes. This goes for any new trees and shrubs planted this season, no matter when they were planted.
Keep mowing the lawn, and be sure to mow high - about 3 inches. Leaves can be mown right into the lawn. If you have too many, rake, shred and mulch them into flower beds. We've written about this technique for building the soil many times, but it's important - and economical.
Tune in next time for more on clean-up chores best done after the first hard frost! |
| In our next issue |
Fall chores after frost time
Harvesting late season crops
Clean up in the edible garden
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| Contact us |
Lurvey Landscape Supply & Garden Center
2550 E Dempster St. Des Plaines, IL 847-824-7411 Hours and Directions
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| Featured Plant: New England Aster |
 | Aster Purple Dome
Aster novae-angliae 'Purple Dome' |
New England Aster is a native perennial that will reliably bring bright color to your garden this time of year. It has a ray flower, that is, a central flower that is gold or yellow surrounded by rays that make up what we think of as the flower head. It comes in many shades of purple, pink and lavender and grows in pleasing clumps to approximately 36 inches.
If planted in full sun, New England Aster is relatively carefree, needing little or no watering and no staking to remain upright. It is also deer resistant! It does self-seed in the garden, but not so much that it "takes over." Late in the season, this perennial begins to bloom and fill the garden with new color, attracting butterflies, and offering a perfect complement to mums, goldenrod, and even a few orange pumpkins placed carefully in your garden beds. |
| Naturalizing bulbs | |
This is the time to plant bulbs for a colorful show next Spring. As you do so, think about combining your bulbs with perennials or groundcovers in areas where they can naturalize to become a part of the landscape year after year. Bulbs that naturalize well include Allium, Crocuses, Daffodils, Galanthus (Snowdrops), Iris, Muscari, and Scilla. Here are some combinations that work well:
Allium and Vinca: If you have an area that needs groundcover, consider planting Vinca and interspersing with Allium. Even better: add Allium throughout an area already planted with Vinca. The Allium globes will look like they are hovering above the groundcover when they bloom in spring.
Daffodils and Daylilies: Plant Daffodils with Stella d'Oro Daylilies. As the Daffodils fade, the foliage and flowers of the Daylilies will take over and hide the Daffodil foliage that takes so long to dry out and die. This is a great solution for that period when the bulb foliage needs to be left to dry out on its own.
Muscari make-over: If you have an area that you do not need to mow for awhile in spring -- say under a maple tree where the grass is quite thin -- plant as many Muscari as you can afford. They make a great show of purple for a few weeks in an otherwise bare and unsightly spot!
Scilla and Crocus in the meadow: It's not hard to plant these small bulbs right in the lawn. Simply turn back a piece of sod, poke a small hole and put the bulb in it, then put the piece of lawn back in place. Or, when you core aerate your lawn simply drop the bulbs in the holes. A whole area of lawn can come alive in spring with Crocuses and Scilla in this way. Enjoy these blooms early, before you need to cut the lawn.
Things to remember: Plant in a well drained area that provides sun or part sun, depending on the type of bulb. Add fertilizer or compost each fall to the area planted. Bulbs can be planted right up to hard frost. To keep squirrels from digging up newly planted bulbs use a repellent or place chicken wire over the soil to protect your hard work! |
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| Fall in love with Hydrangeas | |
Have you noticed how beautiful Hydrangeas are this time of year? That's one reason why they are so popular with gardeners. Best known of course, are the mophead pink or blue hydrangeas, but if you want a carefree shrub that looks lovely all season long, and finishes the year with stunning blooms that subtly turn color from white to pink, consider a panicle Hydrangea.
 | | Tardiva Hydrangea |
The blossoms on this variety are huge - 6 or even 8 inches long, and they bloom reliably on new wood so annual pruning is no problem. They begin blooming in the dog days of summer, and continue right up to frost, forming beautiful upright panicles. It's the change in blossom color that makes them so interesting in the fall.
Many panicle hydrangeas, including 'Limelight', 'Pink Diamond' and 'Tardiva', grow to 8 or even 12 feet tall. New cultivars coming on the market in recent years offer smaller alternatives if you don't have that much space. These include 'White Diamonds', 'Pinky Winky' and 'Little Lamb'. 'Quick Fire' is also smaller and blooms earliest of all the panicle Hydrangeas. |
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