The cooler days are just ahead and with them visions of spring-blooming seeds and bulbs will temper the cold winter months ahead. And while our summer gardens are winding down from the long hot temperatures, the ever popular mum plants can provide us with instant color, whether in the ground or just dropping them into a container to add instant curb appeal. You can try your hand and experiment with the Fall-hardy kales and cabbages to add some variety and texture.
Remember those multi-colored pansies that brought spring smiles? They can now make a return appearance and will reward us with blooms until the first heavy frost.
Depending on how much time and effort you want to expend, there is a wide array of options awaiting your green thumb.
If instant gratification isn’t a need then let visions of sweet-smelling hyacinths dance in your head and order your bulbs now.
Some bulbs, like tulips and daffodils, require fall planting while spring varieties, like dahlias (which, by the way, come from corms not bulbs) await the warmer soil.
If you have the space to get seeds started indoors, this can be the least expensive option to launch your summer garden.
If space and time (and patience) are constraints, you can wait for spring and head to your local nurseries when the danger of frost has passed. The riot of colors just waiting for you to give them a home are guaranteed to lift the winter doldrums.
Even novice gardeners can impress neighbors by planting a pot full of nasturtium seeds. And guaranteed to give a rainbow of colors, you can even toss the flowers into a salad!
Most importantly, begin to get familiar with our growing zone to know exactly what will work for our area.
And as you survey your hard work with button-popping pride, words like “dead-heading” and “leggy” will take on a whole new meaning as you plan to keep you garden thriving.
Here are a few of our local nurseries that can help you get started
The Herbary bearcreekherbary.com
Barlow Flower Farm barlowflowerfarm.com
Sunset Farm and Garden Center sunsetfarms.com
Holly Brook Farms and Garden hollybrookfarmsgardencenter.com
LB Forcellati & Sons lbforcellati.com
Lanz's Garden Center lanzasnursery.com
Shore River Gardens shorerivergardens.com