Plan for Spring this Fall ........ with perennials

Now is the time to start thinking about your Perennial Gardens for next Spring.  It's time to add new plants that you decide to try.  It's time to divide and transplant those plants that have outgrown their spaces. 

One of our Master Gardener instructors drew the conclusion that the holiday is called "labor day" because this is the time to reseed our lawns and get our perennials started.  Of course he was a bit off base but never the less, I always remember to get started early in the fall season!

The idea is to let these plants have a nice long root growing session before frost.  This reminds me ....... a gal who grows perennial grasses for a living once told me that these grasses do not have long enough legs (roots) to survive fall transplanting well.  She warned that they are best started in the longer growing season of Spring. 

 Once you have your plants in the ground, go ahead and mulch them with a good layer of compost and keep them well watered.  If you have planted something that will die back and will be slow to come back up next Spring it is helpful to place a small wire flag at the site.  Write the plant name on the plastic flag and you'll be set!

Take a walk around your gardens and see if there are overgrown plants that need divided.  If you have your eye on something that your neighbor has offered to share this is the time to do that too.  I have been in several garden centers this week and they are offering beautiful perennials to take home.  Hope you will use this last growing season opportunity to play in the dirt a bit longer!