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Friday, November 9, 2007

Gardening - Late Fall Gardening
By Hilary Basile Platinum Quality Author



Fall brings about a new adventure in gardening. It's a time to focus on elimination and conservation. Colors will fade, allowing for other parts of the garden to shine. Proper pruning is necessary to accent seed pods, winter foliage and stems. Fall is a great time to add dimensions to your garden in the form of texture, shapes and colors. Following are gardening tips for pruning and planting in during the fall.

Fall Pruning

Following are tips for fall pruning:

  • Cut most low growing perennials to the ground unless they have evergreen foliage such as Creeping Phlox, Thyme and Veronica.
  • Prune plants with sloppy fall foliage like Irises, Daylilies and Shasta Daisies.
  • Leave stems with interesting seed pods standing, like Purple Coneflower, Black-Eyed Susan and dried Iris seed pods.
  • Remove clutter by thinning or cutting down plants that remain in clumps like Bee Balm or Obedient Plant.
  • Clean up broken and bent stems.
  • Strip stems of browned leaves to accent seed heads.
  • Throw out annuals as they decline.
  • Cut back fussy grasses like Panic Grass. Upright varieties such as Feather Reed may last until spring but may require some staking.
  • Clean up and stake evergreen shrubs, grasses and perennials as needed.
  • Use anti-desiccants to help plants survive the winter.
  • Mulch roses with 12 inches of coarse bark. Don't prune roses too heavily until springtime.
  • Do a thorough fall weeding to prevent unwanted spring surprises.
  • Level your garden by filling holes, raking up dead leaves and reducing high spots.
  • Apply a thin layer of compost for winter nutrients.

Fall Planting

Following are tips for planting fall annuals:

  • Add Pansies and flowering kale in drifts or clumps to add extra color and interest. They will diminish in winter but will come back in the spring.
  • Use a slow-release granular fertilizer when planting.
  • Use a liquid fertilizer weekly until there is a killing frost.
  • Water all garden plants regularly through the winter to keep them alive.

Use these gardening tips to prune and winterize your garden, and to plant flowers that will add color and interest through the fall and winter.

Hilary Basile is a writer for MyGuidesUSA.com - http://www.myguidesusa.com you will find valuable tips and resources for handling life's major events. Whether you're planning a wedding, buying your first home, anxiously awaiting the birth of a child, contending with a divorce, searching for a new job, or planning for your retirement, you'll find answers to your questions at MyGuidesUSA.com

Find lawn and garden tips and resources at http://www.myguidesusa.com/lawnandgarden


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Article Submitted On: November 07, 2007

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