Fall Planting

Some have talked about Fall chores such as cutting back, cleaning up, digging up tubers, etc. I have said a number of times how I love Fall for planting and want to know if anyone else will be planting this Fall. Many just think of bulbs and nothing else. I am planning perennials, shrubs, trees and bulbs. The trees will be JM's and maybe another one or two small ones. Shrubs include Viburnum 'Chippewa and 'Conoy', Enkianthus (great shrub!), Fothergilla, Hydrangea 'Limelight' and Deutzia. Perennials include Phlox 'Blue Paradise' and two Heleniums. All this is just from one source! I'll no doubt place one or two additional orders.

What about you???

Haven't ordered anything....just gonna be planting a few shrubs I "pinched" this summer and have growing in pots......don't know their proper names but i got 2 weigela(sp), one a variegated and I managed to find one of those nice willows with the new growth that is pink...

This is my favourite time of year for moving things around though...daylilies, hosta's, etc, that I have been eying all summer and finding new homes for.

I will be planting more lilies - including one called "My Precious!"

Another LOTR variety?!!

The best season for peony planting and dividing!

Not much doing here, just have to move a couple of iris, that's it. I did a lot of planting this spring so I'm done until next year. Don't think I will even stick in any bulbs this year. I like to plant trees and shrubs in the fall too but perennials from garden centers, unless they are really new plants are usually left over from earlier in the season and I find less success with them in the fall. I move stuff around all summer which I did some this year, so just the iris to move now.

Yeah the perennials need to be healthy and sizable. I order mine online.

ooops...thanks for the reminder...bought a peony a few years back that got way bigger than he was supposed to....has to be moved too.

I used to plant a lot in the fall, but found that I just don't seem to have great luck with it. I would lose a lot of things by spring. So now I mostly stick to bulbs, and save my other planting for spring.

I do have some established plants in pots, a few of which I may stick in the ground this year if I get around to making beds. But if I do, it will be earlier in the year, like in the next few weeks. I think waiting till October for me just doesn't cut it.

Dee

I only had bad experience with teeny plants - Bluestone type sizes. Also, they should not be planted too late. You want to give them some growing time before the cold sets in.

Yeah, I'd think so too - giving them time, I mean. That's why I always wonder when I get catalogs or e-mails advertising late season specials - in November! Just a tad too late, for me at least. I'll stick to my spring planting for the most part. I never finish cleaning up for winter until March anyway, lol, so I don't need any more added work!

Dee

I need to dig up some phlox for another place, but do not know whether to do it now or in the spring?

I don't have any plans. Your plants sound good Victor.

Have you ever planted any of your Coneflowers in the Fall, Al?

Yes. A couple years back I had orders from Plant Delights and Wayside that I planted. Henry Eilers I just posted was from PD. Smaller coneflowers are a bit risky it seems as the roots just don't strengthen enough before winter.

I don't have a lot of new plants to plant (redundant huh) but a lot of transplanting. But I do have 4 new viburnum, a couple of spruce, some hydrangeas, a few veronica, some allium, thyme......and a big a-- spider just came across the room, I'm outa here!

Ooh - real-time arachnophobia! Cool. Which Viburnum and Hydrangea?

spiders you want to plant about 6" deep and pack down the surface ;)

We, too, have irises to divide and move to a better location. We didn't have much growing in the early spring this year, so we have ordered crocus and more tulips and are eagerly awaiting their arrival.

LOL AL. Spiders in the garden, nice. Spiders coming at you from across the room, forget about it eeeek!

Just curious - but I have all kinds of seedlings that have germinated (foxglove, linaria, cornflowers, baby's breath) - any chance some will survive through the winter?

When we first moved here I was out in the garden and felt something on the inside of my wrist, it was the biggest stinkin' spider, I'm not talking daddy long legs big, those I don't mind but this thing was like a baby tarantula big, ugh gives the willies just thinking about it.

Anyway, I have big shade garden plans for this fall. I have on order ajuga torch, thymus serphyllum alba, helleborus orientalis, aquilega ruby port, cyclamen hederifolium, hydrangea annabelle, monarda colrain red, rudbeckia fulgida.
For other areas orange snow crocus, daffodil flower drift, tulip sancerre, allium, fall crocus, stachys helen von stein.
I think I'll be pretty busy. I also have to create a walkway and a raised bed.

flower,you are going to be a busy gal

Sounds good Jen. Good luck and take pictures!

A nice collection of plants, should be very pretty.

Im soooo excited I can't wait to start. Do you guys get that anxious feeling too when you have big garden plans?

I always do my main Fall planting at this time. L am mostly a Rhodendron and azalea collector and this is the time of year that rhododendrons and azaleas put on their greatest root growth no longer producing shoots or buds. The earlier in the Fall they get in the ground the Better. The soil stays moist the temperatures are favorable and new roots rapidly spread.

Absolutely - that's why I encourage people to plant in the Fall. The same holds for many plants - the roots grow in the Fall.

Planning and planting a new bed is just the best isn't it. Fun to try new plants and combos and if it ends up looking like it did in your head, well that's he big payoff right! I just love it when a plan comes together. Don't forget some pics! :)

I usually don't stop planting until the end of September here. I have always had luck, in regard to the weather, if I planted things no later than 4-6 weeks before the last frost date. this is the best time, I find, to dig up and divide daylilies...by the by if anyone wants some, let me know...to plant any/all evergreens I have bought...also, not sure about the rest of the country, but here, NE Pa, I have about 7 great nurseries, and about 4 of them, every year at the end of August their whole inventory of plants is 50-75% off...I go crazy. Iris, Peony, Sambucca, Juniperus sp, Acers, blue berries/fruit trees, and usually, don't yell...lol...any perennials I do buy I cut back to about an inch off of the ground. I just give things about an inch or so of mulch, and scratch in some green sand around whatever I have planted.

Hmmm no I don't think I will be doing much planting. I have already divided the plants I wanted to. The only thing I might plant may be some tulip bulbs around my hostas. And that is only if I get around to it - eeeks.

I don't know why I veered away from this forum - maybe because I felt like a traitor to the Mid Atlantic forum? However, comments like this: spiders you want to plant about 6" deep and pack down the surface make me realize why I need to spend more time here! Al, with you, Victor and Dave, who needs the Comedy Channel? LOL You guys always give me something to smile about :)

I'm gearing up for more fall planting as well - as soon as I get my act together I'll show you some before/after pictures of the areas I planted last fall. Not much to look at yet, but a huge improvement over what was (or is it wasn't?) there! I'm expanding in this same area and have taken pictures to help me visualize what will or won't work there. I have MEGA space to work with - just need to make sure I don't make the same mistakes I've made in the past and cram too much into the space. I also have another 'project' in mind that I might be asking for help on soon.

Good to be back :)
Debbie

Welcome back Debbie. It's not a good excuse, but we'll let it go! Hee hee. I'd like to see the pics of the project. Can I think of you as the prodigal NE Forum member??!

Mid Atlantic forum you say....what do they pay over there?

My funniest replies are usually backspaced over because they sound too mean.

My meanest ones are backspaced because they sound too funny.

oh I have tons of plants to get in.... 15 new roses... transplant/divide some hostas that are huge, divide daylilies , plant some hibiscus seeds, I got a hydrangea (my first one!!!) , transplant some asiatic lilies that I planted in the wrong place.

Oh wow you are going to be busy. What are some of the roses? What fun and more pretty pics for us to see. :)

Blue Muffin, Snowflake and Brandywine are the viburnums. Endless Summer hydrangeas. We'll see how the ES does as I read very mixed reviews on the hydrangea forum. I checked and rechecked this room before entering. No large ferocious spiders to be seen. I don't have a spider phobia (actually I do but it's really strange) but that guy just spooked me. As for planting in the fall, my favorite time!!
Kassia, how are your roses doing? Mine are putting on a fantastic late summer show. They look better now than they did all summer.

My ES has done very, very well.

Glad to hear that Victor. The hydrangea forum was very unfavorable. We're very close in zones and it will get morning sun and afternon shade, so I think it should do ok. ES came from a local vendor as did the Snowflake, the ES was 1' by 1' , the Viburnums were already 3 foot tall in 5 gallon containers. I'm so eager to see them next year.