Color for Cooler Days

Fall Gardening Tips

Lettuce can be planted from starts for a quick fall crop. Tree collards are delicious winter vegetables—set out plants now. Apples, pears, and other fruit trees can be planted in the fall from containers to get a head start on next spring. It’s time to divide overgrown perennials that bloomed in the spring or early summer and choose and plant new varieties. Cover crops should be planted in the garden as soon as you pull out summer crops to feed the soil and prevent erosion over the winter.

Color for Cooler Days

As petunias and marigolds wind down with chilly nights, clean up flower beds and plant new flowers for cooler months. The best choices for vibrant fall and winter color include snapdragons, calendulas, stock, pansies, violas, primroses, and chrysanthemums.

• Snapdragons

  Available in a variety of sizes and colors, snapdragons range from 8-inch tall “Floral Carpets” to 36-inch tall “Rockets.” Colors include pinks, reds, lavenders, yellow, and white. Though sold as annuals, they will winter over in mild climates and rebloom profusely in early spring. For mass plantings, space medium and dwarf varieties 6 to 8 inches apart and tall types a foot apart. Plant in a sunny, well-drained location with good garden soil. Snapdragons pair well with delphiniums, irises, and daylilies.

• Calendulas

  Sometimes called winter marigold, calendulas are easy to grow and thrive in cool weather. They come in shades of yellow, gold, and orange and will provide color from fall through next summer. Plant in full sun.

• Stock

  Known for their wonderful fragrance, stock flowers come in rich colors like pink, purple, rose, and white. Most are double-blooming and set against gray-green foliage, making them ideal for cut flowers. They mix beautifully with snapdragons for both color and fragrance.

• Pansies and Violas

  Low-growing and perfect for borders or containers, pansies and violas have heart-shaped, shiny green leaves and flowers on six-inch stems. Pansy flowers can reach up to three inches across and come in a wide variety of colors, including multi-colored varieties. Both are excellent for adding vibrant color to gardens and containers.

• English Primroses

  Ideal for shady winter areas, English primroses feature clustered flowers in an incredible range of colors, including red, blue, yellow, and all shades in between. If planted early, they will bloom in the fall and continue from February through April. Plant in a spot that receives summer shade to help them establish and thrive for the following winter.

• Chrysanthemums

  Chrysanthemums are excellent cut flowers, lasting up to two weeks in a vase. They grow 2 to 4 feet tall with long stems, perfect for cutting. Fall-blooming mums come in a dazzling array of colors, including yellow, gold, rust, magenta, pink, white, purple, and lavender. Choose colors that complement your indoor decor or home’s exterior.