It is hard to believe it is almost the middle of September already- and that we are zooming right into autumn and the holiday season. And autumn garden season too.
Here in California- September usually brings fairly warm (even hot!) daytime temperatures with crisp nights – and so our planting and gardening season continues a bit later than some. The past week- we have had a crazy heatwave- with unprecedented new records being set. So, suffice to say, I have not ventured into the garden to plant anything new yet this year.
But even if you live in a zone where winter comes sooner rather than later- getting your garden ready now for the next growing season is the key to garden success. And today it is ALL about autumn gardening- what I am thinking of planting for the upcoming holiday season and spring- and what we have done to create a garden oasis or retreat to enjoy all year long. This is a post from the past for Friday Favorites- but I am planting much of the same things this year as well.
Autumn Garden
Greenhouse Garden
You might remember the greenhouse garden we put in in spring- and oh how it has grown! We have been enjoying veggies from the garden all summer long- and have quite producing even now. Here is what it looked like in spring when it was first planted.
Garden Beds
And now- those tiny spring plants are not so tiny anymore and we have moved many of them into permanent spots in the yard. One key to the success of the plants is the potting soil.
Tip: Quality potting soil nurtures your veggies and flowers and encourages them to grow and bloom.
We planted the beds with new potting soil & also mixed in several bags of it with our dirt for our just going in rose garden.
You might notice we have some new garden beds added as well- these are recent additions that we moved some of the spring plants to- and they are thriving as you can see.
Food
The other thing we do all season long- but especially in fall or when planting roses and other plants- is to feed them with plant food. I can’t tell you how many plants I have bungled when moving or transplanting them over the years – and they just were not happy. I have learned to always feed and add those important nutrients back into the soil.
Pretty on Repeat
Because I am a huge fan of all things charming and pretty – I also added a few more cloches.
I had ordered several originally but only got one when they went out of stock. The cloche can do a wonderful job protecting your veggies – but also providing some structure for some of those unruly plants. And even without doing anything- they look beautiful.
Winter Crops
So what are we planting right now? A few new additions in the beds, a rose garden and also some bulbs for winter and spring blooms.
There are a ton of organic herbs and veggies and flowers – and you can shop Home Depot on line for your local store plants and everything you need to put in the garden of your dreams. Simple place your order & they will bring it right out to you for curbside pick up.
For winter- I am planting Narcissus (paperwhites) and for spring blooms- Tulips, Daffodils, Allium & Peonies and Ranunculus along with some wildflower mixes.
Veggies
We planted some herbs, new crops of lettuce and winter veggies like beets as well.
I like to make sure to amend the box soil- meaning- add new potting soil to the already filled boxes to help give those plants the best start. When these pumpkins are moved- we will plant this bed with something new.
Creating a Garden Retreat
With spending so much time at home the past couple of years- creating a sanctuary and special place in your yard or home that you can retreat to is so important. One thing I love about our greenhouse garden is that it has inspired us to spend so much more time in the greenhouse area.
We have our chairs to relax in and also have a dining table set up and enjoy dinners there nightly. For ambiance have added rows of twinkle lights -which really creates a most magical area to simply sit and enjoy this beautiful little spot.
Stay tuned for a full tour of our greenhouse garden this year as it gets ready for autumn soon.
I worked with Vigoro on sharing our garden retreat – but all opinions are my own.