Fall Gardening in Spring

 Fall here in York County, PA is glorious. Our average first frost date isn't until Halloween and there is no reason September and October can't be just as beautiful and bountiful in the garden as July and

I didn't even mention Mums. They're great too. 

August. What am I posting about this in May? Because there are many plants that hit their peek in the fall that need to be planted now. Having a great fall garden requires some planning. But you can do this! Here is what you should be planting now to have an amazing fall garden. 

Vegetables

Some of the most quintessential vegetables of fall are pumpkins. However, they take a long time to grow. You can start them from seeds readily but they need to be started soon. If you wait till August, it will be much too late. This includes all pumpkins, gourds and winter squash such as butternut or acorn. They all require full sun and rich soil. 

A few other vegetables like Brussel sprouts and parsnips are the same way. Plant now to harvest in fall. I'm also experimenting with starting leeks from seeds now to harvest in the fall. I'll let you know how that goes. 

Maple trees and pumpkins just scream fall. 

Annual Flowers

Sunflowers, zinnias, strawflowers, and marigolds are all easy to start from seed and can look fabulous all fall. (Last year I was picking fresh straw flowers until Thanksgiving) But you need to plant them now. Again, they all need full sun. A word on sunflowers; some varieties bloom and finish in summer so if you want a fall show be sure to select a variety for fall. 

Perennial Flowers

Investing in some key perennials to show off in fall is a great idea. However, to get a good bloom this year, you need to select and plant them out now. Any member of the Aster Family is great for fall. I also enjoy my pink sedum flowers and Trycirtus. Gallardia is another popular fall flower. Ornamental grasses can also look great in the fall. 

Trees and Shrubs

Some seeds I've started near the spiggot. 

First, growing apples and pears brings a fantastic fall harvest of classic fall fruits. I recommend growing both. 

Second, there are so many plants that just look amazing in fall from large sugar maples, to wild grape vines, to the Virginia Sweet Spire I just planted out. Even blueberry bushes get great fall color. 

The best part is, that if you plan things out well, I find fall gardening to be far more relaxing. Fewer hours of sunlight mean plants slow down and it's easier to find time to sit with a hot cup of coffee and just take it in. 

Another tip: if you have limited space in your vegetable garden, you might struggle to find room for fall veggies right now. I like to start seeds in containers to plant out later when spring veggies are done and ready to pull out. Just keep the containers near a water source so they're easy to keep watered. 

What are some of your favorite fall plants? Are you planning anything special this year? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below. 

Order Your Seeds!

 About a week before Christmas, a good friend of mine asked if she should order her seeds then or wait till the new year. I told her that I always wait until January and it's fine. As with so many things to due with Covid 19, I clearly underestimated it's ability to influence gardening. Between so many new people getting into gardening (which is awesome) to all the people panicking and hoarding seeds (which isn't) many seed companies are having a hard time with keeping things in stock and getting orders filled in a timely manner. Add to this a postal service which is still behind from Christmas (so seed catalogs are arriving later than usual and seed orders placed via the mail are getting there late too) and things are a bit rocky. 

So, here's my 2 cents on the situation. 

First, figure out what you want to grow this year. Then look at the seeds you have left over from the last few years to discern what your are lacking. 

Second, place your order as soon as possible. 

Third, place your order online and not via snail mail. Yeah, I know most people do this anyways but if your an old soul who enjoys using stamps, just make an exception this once. 

Fourth, there is no need to hoard seeds. Seeds are really only good for up to 3 years or so depending on the variety and how well you store them. If you order more than that, it's going to waste. 

Finally, my guess is that beginners will still find plenty of seeds and plants at their local nurseries this spring to choose from. It's only those of us who enjoy specific varieties that need to get a move on. But again, I've been wrong before. 

Here are some great websites for ordering seeds. (None of them are paying me money)

Territorial Seed Company

Johnny's Seeds

Seed Savers Exchange

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

How do you get your seeds and plants? Have you had any problems this winter? Feel free to write about your experience below. 

Grow Outside of Your Comfort Zone!

Generally speaking, its always a good idea to try out a few new plants each year. Its super fun to experiment and you might discover something awesome that you can't live without. However, this year I've gone a little bit overboard with new varieties and I'd love to share some with you. At the end I'll let you in on my sources.

Strawberry Spinach
Did you know you can buy spinach seeds that produce not only delicious leaves but also sweet berries? How cool is that? I've not grown them yet, but I'm going to this year and I'll let you know how they turn out.

Antique Flemish Poppy
Traditional poppies have never interested me as their flowers are simple and they make terrible cut flowers (they wilt quickly). However, some poppies have extra petals that make them prettier (to me) and a few types will produce culinary quality poppy seeds! If you're into baking you're probably aware of how expensive poppy seeds are at the store. Imagine getting to grow your own!

Lovage
This herb is rumored to taste just like celery and it's a perennial that is available this year. I have a bad history of throwing out celery before it's used up and this would be just awesome. Lovage doesn't have the same crunchy stems as celery but the leaves would be great for soup and casseroles.

Gherkins
Imagine if a cucumber and a cherry tomato had a baby - then you'd get gherkins. I've had one before at a friend's and it's delicious. If you like cucumbers then you should definitely try these.

Those are just a few of the new things I'm trying out this year. If you're interested in trying some you can find lots of great things from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (I don't get any money from them). Territory Seeds and Johnny Seeds are also trusted sources. For unusual fruit trees, look up Trees of Antiquity online (I only wish these places gave me money to mention them). If you're really brave, you can even find unusual plants on etsy but that's always a gamble.

Feeling inspired? Go out and try something new! It's also fun to do with kids. I love showing my daughter new plants and trying new foods. Feel free to post in the comments below on how you've grown out of your comfort zone!

Maximize Your Vegetable Garden

One of my favorite ways to spend a cold, wintry evening is to look over several plant and seed catalogs and plan out what I'm going to grow in my garden in the coming year. If you're normally the kind of person who buys whatever random things jump out at you at the garden center in May, then you should try a different approach this year! Here are some basic steps you can take to get the most out of your vegetable garden this year. 

First, request a few free catalogs online. For beginners, I'd recommend Gurneys or Burpees. If you want a larger selection, try Johnny's or Territorial. My personal favorite is Baker Creek Seeds as their customer service is great, the prices are good and all of their seeds are open pollinated so you can get into seed saving. (Note, I'm not paid anything by these companies).

Second, keep in mind how much space you have. Sure, growing pumpkins may sound fun but if the plants take over your garden, you won't be getting a lot of edibles for your space. Great plants for small space gardening include lettuce, spinach, bush beans, beets, carrots and onions. You can also use vineing plants if you have a fence or trellis for the vines to climb on. 

Third, prioritize what your family loves to eat. Last year I had a very prolific patch of Swiss chard. Now, I do like Swiss chard but my husband won't touch it and a lot of it went to waste. This year, I'm zeroing in on what we really like to eat. Of course, it never hurts to try out a couple new things either. 

Fourth, look for varieties that are disease resistant and tolerant of weather variations. Sometimes the biggest and most colorful fruits are the ones that are the most susceptible to disease and bugs. Go with the safe bet and you'll have fewer problems in the growing season. 

Finally, write down on your calendar when you need to plant your seeds so time doesn't get away from you. Cold weather plants like spinach can be sown here in central pa as early as St. Patrick's Day. Others, like tomatoes, have to wait till May. 

With these tips in mind, I know you can harvest and enjoy loads of fresh, healthy vegetables from your garden this year. How do you decide what to grow? Feel free to comment below. 

Why You Should Keep a Lawn and Garden Binder

Gardening season will start in two months. Even if you're not into gardening, by April you're going to start mowing and dealing with what landscaping you have. Now is a great time to start a garden notebook. I know, I know, you're busy and the last thing you need is something else on your to do list. However, keeping some basic notes can save you time and money in the long run. It will keep you from repeating mistakes and remind you of what worked well.

How to do it

I'll admit to being pretty old fashioned. As you can tell from the picture, I keep my garden planner in an old fashioned binder. It works well for me. It's a great place to keep articles on gardening you find in magazines or online. I have a separate area for different areas of my yard where I keep track of what I planted and how well it did. I also keep track of where I bought things and when I planted them. Drawing simple maps helps out too.

Digital planners

You can find several digital garden planners online. Here are a few to get you started.

http://gardenplanner.motherearthnews.com/

http://gardenplanner.almanac.com/gardenplanner/gardenplanner.html#

http://www.bhg.com/gardening/design/nature-lovers/welcome-to-plan-a-garden/

The problem with these is that they don't have a way to take notes from previous years which to me is half the reason to do this in the first place.

Whether you keep physical or electronic notes, you need to have a physical envelope to keep receipts from larger plant purchases. Most garden centers have one year guarantees on their plants so if you loose out, you can bring it back with a receipt.  

Is it worth it? 
Not for everyone. Some people really hate gardening and have nothing to keep track of. Remember that you only have to update it when you want to. I only get to in once a month or so during the growing season and even less in winter. You may only access it once a year. However, if you're like me and you love gardening, then I think a garden planner is indispensable. It gives us something productive to do when it's too dark and cold outside to be out there doing anything. Do you keep a garden planner? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below.

3 Solid Reasons to Create Goals for Your Yard and How to Do It

January is, I realize, a very clique time to be setting new goals. However, what else is a gardener to do in January but dream of Spring? Even if you think you have a black thumb, if you have any yard at all, you should do a bit of planning now to help you out later.

Why?

First, having a plan means things will actually get done. Have you been dreaming of a flower garden for years but haven't gotten around to it? Wanting to create a beautiful play area for your kids but they'll probably be grown before it happens? Thought about learning how to grow fruit trees or herbs? If you write it down and have a plan, you'll be much more likely to do it.

Second, it will save you money. Going to a garden center in the Spring without a plan is like going to the grocery store without a list. You're going to spend more than you should have and you still won't have what you need.

Third, it will increase the amount of time you spend outside which is great for your health. Countless studies have shown the benefits of gardening, or any outdoor exercise for that matter. Creating gardening goals will increase the chances that you'll be spending more time outdoors this spring.

How to go about it?

First, get together with everyone in your household and make sure you're all on the same page. You might be planning a vegetable garden right where someone else wants to install horse shoe pits.

Second, write it down. I like doing this in my garden binder (more on that to come) but you just have to write it down where you can find it later.

Third, write out a plan. Don't just write down that you want to learn how to grow fruit trees. When should you plant the trees in your area? Better do a lot of research before then. Create a timeline and be sure to budget what you need for plants and tools.

This year, my two biggest goals are to start a fruit orchard and have it survive the first year. I've already read a whole book on it to get started. I also want to establish a new perennial herb garden since I lost my old one when we moved.

What about you? What are you wanting to do with your yard this year? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below.