Fall Is Upon Us- Are you ready?

Crisp fall nights make for great sleeping weather, but fall is not officially here. Or not just yet! According to the calendar, fall is officially arrives at 10:49 a.m. Saturday, September 22. You can read more about fall's arrival on the Farmer's Almanac page.

Whats on your to-do list for fall?

Planting

Trees, bushes and perennials
Its a great time to plant trees and bushes - if you can find what you want. Checking out most of our local bores garden centers last week left me a bit disappointed, there is not much left. Trees and bushes can still be found, but the selection isn't the best. Still this is a great time to plant - if you find what you want.  Perennials are on major clearance, but most are the tried and true varieties. Specialties are long gone.

Mums
If you clipped your mums back in early July, you should be enjoying a show soon if not already. And if your looking to plant some, choose the hardy variety sold at local mom and pop nurseries. But if your looking for just porch decor, pick up a few of the cheap versions sold at box stores like Home Depot, Lowes and Meijers. These won't survive the winter, but they will do the job.

Bulbs
Fall bulb planting - for spring flowers - will be starting in October. Though September is a good time to tract down your favorites.

Visit Michigan Bulb Co.  for great selection and ideas. Find basics on bulb planting here.

Deals!
Is your garden art looking tired? Are you in need of some new gloves or fertilizer? Deep discounts can be found on hanging baskets, shepherd hooks, stepping stones and landscape mulch are in abundance.

Clean-Up
The time for falling leaves, dying plants and storing away those garden favorites will be here soon. Fall clean up will make spring gardening a breeze. Use your cool days to prune back dead plants, leaving seed heads for birds to munch on if you choose, and clean up leaves that might have been subject to mold or black spot.

Take Stock
Take a walk around your gardens on a cool autumn day, after your beds are cleaned up, but before you mulch. Write down what plants need replanting if you haven't done it already, look for voids that need filling, and favorites you want to get more varieties of.

 It all seems clear now, but after a long winter of dreaming... I don't know about you, but I tend to forget what I really need and look more for what dreamt of.