Garden Tip: Reflections on the fall garden

September is a pivotal month in the garden because you are adding colorful perennials to freshen your landscape, starting preparations for winter, while at the same time setting the stage for next spring. Its an excellent time to reflect on your current garden by walking around your yard, making notes, and even taking pictures in preparation for planning next years garden.

Here are some activities for the September gardener:

Decorate porch, patio and landscape with mums, pansies and other colorful, cold-tolerant annuals.

Continue deadheading perennials, with the exception of those plants where seeds, leaves or pods provide winter interest and serve as food for birds.

Plant, divide and transplant selected perennials. Keep them well watered.

Cut back to the ground perennials exhibiting powdery mildew, such as tall phlox, peonies and bee balm. Dont dispose of diseased plants in your compost pile.

Stop pruning all trees, shrubs and roses, until they are fully dormant. Pruning encourages new growth that wont have time to harden off before winter. Fall pruning of spring flowering shrubs, which have already set their buds, such as lilacs, forsythia, viburnum and rhododendron, will reduce their spring flower display.

September is a good time for planting container-grown and balled and burlapped trees and shrubs.

Continue watering landscape throughout September and October, particularly recently installed plants. Stressed plants dont overwinter well.

Cooler weather is on the way, but you still have plenty of great gardening days remaining. September is the best time to reflect on the passing season and build anticipation for next spring.

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Garden Tip: Reflections on the fall garden