Autumn is a great season for annuals, low-maintenance perennials and evergreen shrubs to shine. In fact, some of the most popular flowers, like colorful mums, roses, dahlias, purple pansies and yes, even bright yellow sunflowers, all bloom around September and October.
Mid- to late-August is often an excellent time to plant fall flowers, as long as the weather isn't still so hot that the plants will suffer heat stress.
September is a great time to plant those fall flowers. There are many varieties that can be planted this fall to start blooming early spring.
Late summer or early fall is an excellent time to plant mums, one of the symbolic flowers of the season. Practically any time in September that strikes your fancy is a good bet, so long as it's at least six weeks before the year's first frost.
If frost will not come to your garden until late October, November, or December, you can sow seeds during August. Reliable crops for planting in August include beets, bush beans, carrots, collards, mustard, onions, radish, spinach, and turnips. Fall crops.
Fall is a great time to plant another crop of spring greens such as spinach, leaf lettuce, arugula, mustard greens, and mâche because they require cooler soil for seed germination and they mature quickly.
Asters (Aster Spp.)
One very popular variety is Aster 'Celeste', which forms a clump covered with dense purple daisy-like flowers in late summer and early fall.
Violas and Pansies
These hardy little flowers not only have gorgeous blooms but can survive almost anything winter has to dish out. Violas and pansies grow best in partial shade but need a minimum of four hours of sunlight a day.
VIOLA (Viola spp.) Like their pansy cousins, violas will keep on blooming through frosty weather and even a dusting of snow. In moderate climates, they will often bloom all winter long.
Grow an Edible Garden With Fall Vegetables
For a cool-weather vegetable harvest, plant lettuce, collards, carrots, Brussel sprouts, spinach, broccoli, radish, and more. The general rule of thumb is to plant fall vegetables from seed 90 days before the first frost.
Plant your fall vegetables so that the crops you choose have time to reach maturity before the first frost in your area. Find your first frost date, then count backward based on days to maturity for each type of veggie you want to grow. That's your ideal planting date.
Although each plant's needs may vary and some will be more winter-hardy than others, in general about a month before the last fall frost is sufficient in giving the plant enough time to establish itself and take root.
Some perennials may put on a spring-time matinee and surprise you with a late show too. Spring and fall-blooming clematis come to mind. Echinacea, rudbeckia, gaillardia, pincushion flower, and salvia may put on a double feature. Try harvesting or cutting plants back in midsummer to encourage prolific fall blossoms.
Spring-blooming perennials, especially in the bare root form, are best planted early in the fall. Planting in the fall while the soil is still warm will give the roots enough time establish properly. This allows the plants to emerge from well established roots, with a stronger start, the following spring.
We can't think of anything better than fall flowers. From marigolds to coral bells (aka heuchera), standby blooms like chrysanthemums and pansies, and so many more, what's not to love? Hardy fall flowers allow you to fill your garden with color even as the nights get chilly and your favorite summer flowers fade away.
Late summer and early fall, such as September, is the best time to plant chrysanthemums which are hardy perennials that will grow back each and every year with the proper care. Peonies are also perennials, so after you plant them once in September, they'll come back year after year with the proper care.
October is the season to plant spring-blooming bulbs, wildflowers, and many standard gardening favorites. The flowers that don't blossom this winter can spend the cold season in the ground, strengthening their root systems in preparation for a springtime bloom.
Think about ways to add color and draw beneficial insects to your fall gardens. Consider planting nasturtiums, marigolds, asters, cosmos, mums, and anemones. Plan out your fall pots and planters. Summer blooms are fading, but there are many opportunities to add color and visual interest to your landscape.