Fall Garden Plans Anyone?

Now that the cooler weather has finally arrived I am motivated to get out and plan some more beds for next year. This morning I started tilling by a 40' fence line - 1/2 will be veggie garden next year and the first half will be a cutting garden of iris's (dutch n bearded),daf's, lilys,alliums, fritillaria, anemone.....

Does anyone have any special cutting flowers they like to grow to help give me more ideas?

I already have a bunch of roses, hydrangeas, BES, Shasta's....I'd be especially interested in hints for greenery for the arrangements...Thanks!!

How about tall phlox? My daughter (sstateham on DG) gave me some pink ones this summer that are doing ok, and I'm hoping for success next year. Entlie

great idea! I love phlox...

Mine are pink. My mom used to grow purple ones when I was a kid. Have tried the purple, even swiped a couple from an old cemetery, but can't seem to get them to take.

I'm severely missing the Lycoris I planted at my old home right now...they are everwhere down here...I put like 100 in my old yard :(

I have used hundreds of Helianthus Maximillan (Prairie Sunflowers) for arrangements this year. They are bright gold/yellow and bloom from late Sept. thru Oct. They will grow to be 10' tall if you don't prune they back in June. It has taken me several trial and errors to find the ones with strong trunks--but I now have them. They are great for cut flowers in water. They do not do well in an oasis. If you would like seeds send me your mailing address. I will be glad to give you some in about a month.

Thank you for the seed offer BSD! I have 4 of them in the yard - I love how 'care free' they are - right up there NY Iron weed/Joe Pye - I just leave them alone and they just grow grow grow!

I'd lilke to have some seeds! I'll PM you my mailing address.
Thanks!
Entlie

Fall Garden Plans: I am re-doing an herb bed that is 8x8 ft, with a tree in the middle. It's a raised bed, and what a job! In 4 years, tree roots have traveled everywhere. And I planted a few liriope clumps in the beginning to fill in some corners, and whoo--eee - liriope all over the place. What was I thinking? I'm about 75% finished with the clean-out, and will amend with some nice new dirt before replanting. In the end I have planned a mix of herbs and flowers, including my new pink phlox and the new replacement rosemary. Great weather for this project - hope it continues. Entlie

Those of us on the coast, where we have high water tables, really do have problems with those tree roots don't we? I couldn't get a shovel into my herb bed the other day. It is not near any big trees but it was still chock full of roots which traveled laterally a great distance. The trees are also favor the rich soil in the raised beds and they are adept at finding them.

How true. And I like the looks of this tree, so it's going to have to share the same space.

I thought it was strange that I hit roots every where in my yard. No rocks, no clay should be easy digging but it isn't. An axe is usually involved with any digging.

In a couple of weeks I'll be doing a full mulch in the yard which in my case equals about a dump truck load of mulch so that will keep me busy for a little while. I'm going to build some raised beds for veggies next year too.

Core - have fun with all that mulch! you get any fruit off your tree's this year?

Has anyone had any luck with Arkansas Black Apple tree's? I would like to plant some but am not sure of the success rate down here...thanks!

I'm having a bonus year for fruit. Loree counted up the tangerines and said she counted 96 so looks like everyone will be getting fruit baskets around X-mas time. My loquat has a lot of fruit on it too so we'll see if the winter is mild enough for them to ripen up, last year was to cold and the fruit just fell off.

My Orlando tangelo is loaded as is the Sambokan sweet lemon but my favorite, the Ponkan tangelo, only has one fruit on the tree.

What Ardesia and Core said! I'm finding huge Live Oak roots (1"-3") suddenly appearing in a perennial bed 20' OUTSIDE the drip-line of the Live Oaks they belong to. That ain't right...

I finished the herb bed. It looks tidy but a little bare, since I'll be adding a lot more to it in the spring. Glad to have that over with. Still lots to do, and getting ready for two trips. I wish these beautiful days would last just a little longer.
Entlie