By Janis Turk
Those who think of fall as simply harvest time are probably not gardeners. Those with green thumbs know that fall is the season to be busy preparing yards and flowerbeds for the freezes of winter and the blooming months of spring.
Guadalupe County Master Gardener Karen Anderson, Chair of the Seguin Main Street Project Green Team, has helpful suggestions for San Antonio metro-area gardeners at the advent of fall and winter.
“This is the busiest time of all if you want a pretty spring garden. The work you do in the fall is the most important work you will do in your yard,” says Anderson, “Preparing for cold winter weather is also very important.”
“First, clean out your summer flowers from the beds, and spend time tilling and preparing the soil. Add about one inch of good compost to the beds, and then cover the whole lawn in compost to help the grass remain healthy through the harsh winter months. September is a great time to separate and transplant bulbs and tubers such as irises, spider lilies, schoolhouse lilies, and agapanthus. October is a good time to plant grass and put in lawns because it gives the grass a chance to be well established before facing the harsh summer heat. October is also a good time to plant trees and shrubs, too,” says Anderson.
“Autumn is a time to be thinking about the colors you’ll want in your garden in the spring. When putting compost on the beds or over the grass, generously sprinkle seeds for spring flowers, such as larkspur, poppies, and bluebonnets,” says this Master Gardener. Now is also the time to plant bulbs for spring tulips, gladiolas, hyacinths, daffodils, and renunculas. This is also a good time to plant pansies and petunias. The pansies will look good this winter, and the petunias will bloom beautifully until the first hard freeze.
“Remember, even though the lawn is dormant during the winter, it still needs regular watering!” reminds Anderson.
But gardening in the fall doesn’t mean just waiting for plants to bloom in the spring; this is also a time to start bringing in some of that vibrant golden color that makes autumn sparkle!
“The fall is a wonderful time to freshen up your deck or front porch with the beautiful colors of autumn! Use big, oversized Mexican terra cotta pots or colorfully glazed Mediterranean vessels, and fill them with water and leaves of Chinese maple or branches of pyracantha. If you don’t have fall leaves, bare branches lend architectural interest when placed in gorgeous urns or pots. It might be fun to fill a basket to overflowing with pomegranates, which will be very pretty, too” says Anderson.
At her historic home in Seguin, Anderson is sure to have fat, squatty pumpkins near the front steps and a friendly scarecrow by the sidewalk to welcome in the harvest season—the time when she says Texas gardeners should be busy working in their beautiful yards!
