Flowers, Trees, Shrubs & More – What to Plant in the Fall

shrubs in front of house
By the time fall rolls around, have you forgotten all about the idea of planting on your property? This seems like a spring activity to most people, so fall planting tends to be ignored. That is a shame. There are plenty of great options for fall planting, meaning you can position your landscape to look great as soon as the warm temperatures return next spring.

So, what can you plant? The list below offers up a few ideas.

Think About Pansies

For the avid gardener, pansies are a common place to turn when the temperatures are going to be cool. Go ahead and plant these in the fall and make sure that you keep the soil moist while the temperatures remain warm. As winter starts to settle in, add mulch so you can keep the nasty freeze/thaw cycle from doing too much damage to your plants.

Put in Grass

If you are needing to put turf down on your property, you probably don’t need to wait until spring to do so. The fall can be a great time to put in your grass and let it get established before winter arrives in full force. Not only is this approach a good one for the grass, but it is also a good feeling knowing that your grass is already in place and ready to go when spring and summer roll around again. If you were to wait until the spring to put in your grass, it would still be in its infancy during next year’s nice weather, and you probably wouldn’t get maximum enjoyment from the lawn.

Add New Shrubs or Trees

Another fall project you can tackle is adding a few shrubs or trees to your landscape design. These are often key pieces, as they can establish the layout of your property and help you build the rest of your landscaping plan. Get these in the ground before the soil gets too cold and keep them plenty wet until the ground starts to freeze and they go dormant.

Bulbs for the Spring

You need to plan ahead if you want to have bulbs come through in the spring. Fall is the time to put your bulbs in place, as the period of cold dormancy is essential to having success in the end. Plan your bulb layout carefully and look forward to a wonderful show of color not only after warmer temperatures return to the area.
Veggies!

That’s right – some vegetables actually do well when the weather is cool. For instance, greens are a great place to start when trying to do some vegetable planting late in the year. Things like lettuce and spinach typically offer a very short window of time until maturity, meaning you can start late in the summer and still get something out of the plant.

There is no reason to put away your gardening tools prematurely. With a little planning and research, you can experience some successful planting well into the fall.