WHEATON, Md. – Fall is the time to get to work in the yard and Montgomery Parks has some advice for home gardeners. The arrival of cooler weather is a cue to plant perennials and deciduous trees and shrubs, so they can develop strong roots before the winter cold arrives.
“Fall is my favorite season and there is so much color in the landscape,” says Christopher Elenstar, horticulturist at Montgomery Parks. “At Brookside Gardens, we continue planting through November and into December depending on the weather. It’s the perfect time to set your garden up for a successful spring.”
Fall Gardening Tips:
- Bring tropical plants and succulents indoors before temperatures drop below 50 degrees.
- Leave annuals and vegetables outside until the cold kills them, then remove and top dress with compost, mulch or weeds to suppress weeds and retain moisture in soil.
- Plant perennials, deciduous bushes and trees now so root systems will develop fully by spring.
- Wait until soil temperature is below 50 degrees to plant spring bulbs. Usually, November or December.
- Put fallen leaves in garden beds for insulation and moisture retention.
- Don’t cut back perennials and grasses until spring. They provide visual interest and habitat for wildlife and insects in winter.
- Don’t plant evergreen trees and shrubs close to winter. They do not go dormant and may dry out in harsh winter conditions.
- Pull weeds by hand and remove before they release seeds.
- Plan for next year’s garden now, making sure to select flowers that will bloom from early spring through fall.
Elenstar says late blooming plants such as asters, goldenrod and anemones are important because they provide flowers for pollinators in the fall. And the colorful foliage of native trees and shrubs such as black gum, flowering dogwood, and American beautyberry signals to migrating birds that the trees contain berries ripe for eating in September and October.
Learn more about gardening at one of the programs offered at Brookside Gardens throughout the year, including a Glory of Fall Garden Tour or a Chrysanthemum Tour this fall. A complete schedule is available online in Brookside Gardens’ Cultivate Magazine.
About Montgomery Parks
Montgomery Parks manages more than 37,000 acres of parkland, consisting of 419 parks. Montgomery Parks is focused on promoting physical activity, social connectivity, and environmental stewardship, especially in diverse and urbanizing areas, with an emphasis on teens, working-age adults, and seniors. Montgomery Parks is a department of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), a bi-county agency established in 1927 to steward public land. M-NCPPC has been nationally recognized for its high-quality parks and recreation services and is regarded as a national model by other parks systems.
Accessibility at Montgomery Parks
Montgomery Parks, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, encourages and supports the participation of individuals with disabilities. Please contact the Program Access Office at 301-495-2581 (Voice/TTY), MD Relay 7-1-1 or 800-552-7724 or ProgramAccess@MontgomeryParks.org to request a disability modification. Visit Montgomery Parks Accessibility for more information.