“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” Albert Camus.
Autumn is my favourite season, a season of beauty and reflection. As gardeners, we slow down, prepare for winter and plan for the next gardening season.
Fall is a good time to “dig and divide.” Dig up mature perennials and divide them into smaller portions. Replant perennials around your garden, leave in pots through the winter or share with friends.
Plant garlic cloves during the fall. Use loose, open, sandy soil for best drainage. Plant cloves about 4 cm deep and 10 cm apart.
Fruit tree trunks may be wrapped with a plastic spiral guard to prevent rodent damage in winter. Mice and rabbits can wreak havoc on young, tender bark. Wrap evergreens with burlap to protect from wind and salt spray.
Prepare for a fall lawn fertilizer application in October. Fall fertilizer is important as it builds strong root zones.
After the first serious frost, dig up your dahlias and cannas and lay the tubers in the sun to dry for a day or two. Store in a large, craft paper leaf bag with dry peat moss or shredded newspaper in a cool but dry place. Do not cut back fall flowering ornamental grasses and flowering plants that produce a seed head. The birds will forage the seeds well past the first snow fall.
For more excellent gardening tips, visit our website www.dunnvillehortandgardenclub.org and facebook page. Better yet, join us Sept. 21, 7-9pm for our Dunnville Horticultural Society (DHS) Monthly Program at the Optimist Hall. David Culp will be sharing his passion on Bonsai. On Sept. 23, 10am-1pm, everyone is invited to Centennial Park to celebrate the newly improved Centennial Park and Legacy Monument! Contact Debbie Thomas, President at (905) 774-3064.
Photo by Sandi Marr