Early fall is the Best Time to Plan Next Year's Garden

My garden is its fullest and most colorful at this time of year. My reblooming yellow and orange and red daylilies are putting on their last display just as the goldenrod is in full bloom. Yes I know goldenrod is a weed. But it is a beautiful weed that contrasts nicely with the wild purple asters and lavender pink physostegia virginia I have planted in several beds. The overgrown catmint -Nepeta- is still in bloom in the maze and blends nicely with the last of the Queen Ann’s Lace flowers. The Artemisia wormwood is overgrown and beautiful.

I go around the garden with several midsized white plastic plant labels and a black magic marker. On each label I write - Sedum looks too big for the space - phlox have begun to crowd out the daylilies - physostegia has overgrown its site - I need to find more Artemisia. I just mark what is wrong and stick the marker next to the problem. That way, when I am ready to clean up the garden for the winter or even early next spring I can deal with the moving issues. I usually transplant my plants in the spring rather than in the fall as they do better if moved in the spring. If you just want to get rid of the extra plants then dig them up s when you finally get to your fall cleanup. Note: it is easier to give away plants to friends in the spring.

My last advice is don’t spend too much time with this! It is only those things that strike you as you look at your garden that you need to do! If you don’t notice it, no one else will either.