Jannie Vaught

The month of leaves, is this why it is called Fall?

Anyway the bamboo leaf rake is out and the leaf re-distribution has begun. Don’t loose a single leaf! Break down thick layers of leaf accumulation in beds and lawn. Thick heavy matts can encourage mice, voles and pests. Break up the matted build up and take to your compost bin to be turned to compost. In between raking do the final bulb planting and winterizing. And Pest prevention. Texas A&M Agrilife Extension has a very good information booklet by John A Jackman. Managing Insects and Mite Pests in vegetable gardens.

I am making my Fall resolution for Spring. What do I need to improve? Well my list is long as gardening has a big learning curve. Nature does what nature does! And sometime my best efforts are not the results I was looking for. One thing I am working for is improving my soak-er hose watering. Taking better care of my asparagus. Insect control and planting and planning for pollinators. Oh yeah and seed collection . Learning more about preservation and storage. We will be covering this in this winters articles. As you make your way around the learning curve, remember to give space and places for you! A nice shady place to set and enjoy all your hard work and all the beautiful flowers and veggies.

As you plan have a look thru the Native and Adapted Landscape Plants. You can purchase the book at the extension office or have a look at it on line. I prefer the book as I can carry it around with me thru the yard and garden. And as you journey thru the vast possibilities let you Artistic creativity flow. As I have learned Go Native! The folks before have figured this out already and know what will ” Thrive”. Pay attention to water needs and be aware to not over water. Let’s look at some of the Fall Seasonal Stars. Aromatic Aster is also called “Fall Aster”, Aster oblongifolius, because it blooms best during fall. Soft purple flower. Feather Grass, Nasella tenuissima, Mexican Feather Grass is in full seed heads now . These also include Muhly, Fountain and Maiden varieties. They are not bothered by disease and thrive in dry, neglected places. Shrimp Plant,Justicia brandegeana, known for its rust-red blooms, also available in different colors. Excellent plant for migrating Humming Birds. Mexican Bush Sage, Salvia leucantha, one of the many hardy Salvias recommended for our area. The purple color looks good next to yellow fall bloomers such as Mexican Mint Marigold or Copper Canyon Daisy, one of my favorites. And Autumn Sage, Salvia greggi is popular for its long bloom, compact size and toughness. and wide range of colors, cutting back several time’s through the year keeps them blooming and not too woody.

What to do for herbs in fall…….. Work some compost into herb bed’s once a year. Harvest seed heads for seed collection after they have dried on the plant. Store in cool dark place in a clean glass jar for next year planting. Keep decaying organic material away from herbs. They need to dry out between rainfall as they may rot. And Early fall is a good time to plant new perennials, divide spring bloomers, iris and lilies and maybe share with your garden friends

Most of all enjoy the beauty of fall and Keep Growing Green with Jannie!