In the Garden - November 2023
Oct 31, 2023 10:20AM ● By JB Culbertson
It looks like fall has arrived…the leaves are turning colors and some are twirling to the ground. Many of the flowers have set their seeds. If you are saving some to plant next year, be sure to let them dry out before you put them in paper envelopes with the plant name on the outside, keep in a dry dark place to wait patiently for spring, then to put in the ground, share with friends, or trade with others. An alternative could be to wait a little longer, bend the stems over, letting the seedheads dry up and drop their treasures to self-plant and sleep in the debris at the foot of the mother plant, or leave the seeds on the upright stems and the birds will eat them off during the winter. Most perennials need to be divided every three to five years. This is an easy way to rejuvenate plants and add more of your favorites. Divide spring bloomers in the fall and fall bloomers in the spring. If you have not trimmed and removed Iris and peony foliage yet this fall, do it now to avoid overwintering pests and disease. You can wait until early spring to cut back most other perennial plants to enjoy their foliage in the late fall and early winter.
Good candidates for a winter garden are ornamental grasses and members of the aster family, coneflowers, sunflowers, and black-eyed Susans. Non-perennials, like dahlias, should be dug up before temperatures drop around 40 degrees, trimmed, dried off, wrapped in newspaper, and put in a cardboard box in a cool, but not cold, dry, and dark place to rest until spring.
If your soil is dry, water your shrubs and bulb beds before the ground freezes. Birds depend on water (especially running), fruit, seeds, and shelter as they migrate. There is nothing more important than plants that bear seeds. All birds appreciate the nourishment afforded by bird feeders in fall and winter, but the migratory species especially benefit from the extra energy provided in autumn for their long trip south. This is the most important season for gardeners to offer calorie-rich seed and wire feeders filled with inexpensive suet right from the butcher.
If you are thinking about a new bed for next year, dig up the dirt, removing rocks and weeds. Test the soil for Acid or Alkaline soil. Add the right amendments. Erect the needed trellises, stakes, and pathways. Let the new garden lie dormant over winter. Spend the next few months looking at catalogs and making your plans for spring… Happy Gardening!