Summer is winding down, but a gardener’s work is never done. Fall is approaching and there are a few things you need to do to prepare your garden for its arrival.
Featured photograph (above) by John Merkl, from Gardening 101: How to Prune Roses.
Photograph by Scott Nelson via Flickr, from Got Powdery Mildew in Your Garden?
1. Clean up the dead and diseased.
Powdery mildew on a tomato plant. Composting is not recommended unless you are sure that the pathogen can be killed by a properly maintained compost pile.
2. Plan for next year’s garden.
Photograph by Meredith Swinehart, from Foolproof Spring Bulbs for a Beginner.
Planning for spring bulbs. Now is the time to order tulips, daffodils, and other spring-flowering bulbs.
Photograph by Conservation Media Library via Flickr, from The Garden Decoder: What Is a ‘Cover Crop’?
Cereal rye is a great cover crop that can overwinter. Cover crops can enrich the soil, stop weeds from taking over in empty vegetable beds, and prevent soil erosion (if you live in a dry and windy area).
3. Plant a cover crop.
4. Shop the sales.
Flora Grubb’s new outpost in Los Angeles.
Photograph by Caitlin Atkinson, courtesy of Flora Grubb, from Shopper’s Diary: Flora Grubb, Now in Los Angeles.
Large clumps of dahlias can be divided.
Photograph by Mimi Giboin for Gardenista, from DIY: How to Store Dahlia Tubers in Winter.
5. Divide perennials.