Heading Into Cool Weather

The weather is cooling down now so there are a few garden chores that need to be seen to this time of year. This is an important time of year for the success of your garden. It is time to weed that garden one more time before winter sets in. In Texas this is an excellent planting time. Planting in autumn is ideal because it gives the plant a chance to establish a really nice root system before it is expected to put on a show. The roots continue to grow throughout the winter months. Remember to put a good fertilizer on your plants that will feed the root growth that takes place. This is also time to mulch again so that your plants have a nice warm layer to protect them from the cold. If you have containers to come in for the winter be sure to treat them for insects before they come in. Ants love to make dens in containers as many have found out the hard way. A good systemic fertilizer is good or you can spray the plant. We sell several products (organic and non organic) that can help you with this chore. I thought I would share a few random shots from our display gardens in this post.

Autumn is an excellent time to prepare new beds for the spring planting. Be sure to mulch them to help keep winter time weeds from popping up.

I have a funny story about the Texas Star Hibiscus above. If you look closely in the picture you can see that the leaves look a bit like marijuana. One morning I arrived to work only to find where someone had stripped every leaf off of my plant. I imagine they must have had quite a surprise when they tried them out.

If you live in the South, be sure to get your pansies and dianthus planted before the freezing weather sets in. They need a bit of time to get established before the cold arrives.

If you are ever in the neighborhood we would love for you to stop by our store.

James