- Plant some mums, sedum, asters and ornamental grasses for color and interest now.Perennials can be used in containers where the spring planted annuals have faded. Grasses are perfect for this purpose. In November simply remove the perennials from your containers and sink them in the ground to protect the roots for winter then reuse them again next year!
- Plant some pansies and other cool weather tolerant annuals like ornamental kale. Pansies are perfect because they’ll add bright color to your fall landscape and will provide beauty next February, March, and April!
- Clean bird feeders or put up new feed stations and keep these stations stocked with fresh clean birdseed. Birds add color and movement to the landscape. They’ll appreciate the buffet and will learn to visit your yard in the approaching cold months.
- Plant a tree or a flowering shrub. Many trees and shrubs are at their best in the fall season for providing color. In addition, they appreciate a fall planting to establish themselves in your landscape and will reward you with years of enjoyment. Use a liquid plant starter fertilizer at the time of planting so they put their energy into root establishment into the warm soil. Many shrubs like Itea, Clethra and Viburnum put on a great fall color show! Trees like Maple, Ginkgo, and Dogwood paint the outdoors in color.
- Evergreens are great for fall planting. Evergreens play an important role in the fall landscape providing backdrop and diversity from deciduous plant material. Evergreens provide cover and protection for wildlife like birds in the landscape. Evergreens also benefit from fall planting with little stress on the top portion of the plant and great benefit from the weather for root establishment.
- A light (1 inch) layer of mulch can provide some protection for plants for the winter season while providing some color and texture now to the fall landscape.
