- May 5, 2024
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October marks the month for shorter days, less rain and hopefully cooler weather. It is time to mulch flower and shrub beds for winter protection, applying up to two to three inches of mulch. Remember not to place mulch against the stem or trunks of plants because trapped moisture can cause rot. If your mulch is old and matted, rake it so water and air can penetrate the soil.
Clean up dead plants and refresh your garden with annuals, such as calendula, dianthus, delphinium, pansy, petunia, Shasta daisy, snapdragon and sweet alyssum. You may also want to plant some bulbs like amaryllis, Aztec lily, calla, freesia, narcissus, rain and spider lily.
Looking ahead to the holidays: If you have poinsettia and Christmas cactus indoors, you need to decrease the amount of uninterrupted light in order for them to bloom. Put them in a closet each night for four to six weeks to give them time to set blooms. If they are growing in your garden, be sure that they do not get artificial light after it gets dark.
Vegetable garden
Are you planting a fall vegetable garden? There are a number of vegetables you can plant this month: beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, collards, endive, onions, radish, kale, spinach, strawberries, Swiss chard and turnips.
Plants in bloom
There are many fall blooming perennials that are coloring the landscape. Native goldenrods with their yellow flower spikes can be found in vacant lots and along roadsides as well as in gardens.
Three types for your garden are seaside, sweet and wand goldenrod. Most grow 2-6 feet tall so be sure and plant them in the back of your garden.
Philippine violet with its dark green foliage is loaded with abundant flowers. The most common color is purple, but there are also white and pink varieties. It is shrubby growing 4-6 feet tall and wide, but it can be kept compact by pruning in the summer. It will lose its leaves during a frost, but it can be cut to the ground to re-emerge in the spring.
Another showy plant is lion’s ear (Leonotis). It, too, can grow to 6 feet tall. It has erect stems that bear whorled clusters of bright orange tubular flowers which are densely hairy on the outside, hence its common name. It likes full sun and is drought tolerant.
