Everyone asks, “what can I plant in the fall in North Idaho?” Here’s a check list of some of the plants that actually love to be planted in the fall!
Next question everyone asks is, “how do you know how to cut back perennials?” If you are new to the area, or new to gardening, both questions can be daunting. Here’s an overview to help you get started! For more detailed info, visit our nursery and we’ll be happy to offer more knowledge. Check out our fall fertilizing video on our website for more helpful info CLICK HERE.
While you want to wait until spring to fertilize your perennials, it is the perfect time to feed your lawn for a beautiful spring and summer result. And the lawn fertilizer is in.
In North Idaho, fall is the perfect time to start to plant your bulb garden, or add to your existing bulbs.
Local favorites such as daffodils, tulips, hyacinth and crocus can bring immediate joy and color to your spring time garden. They can also provide brilliant color in your home when you cut them and put them in vases inside the house. Aah, I can smell the hyacinth now! While it is tempting to plant them when the weather is still warm, wait til the soil cools in late September. The bulbs will grow enough roots to solidly grow, but not enough to sprout before Spring. We are receiving our shipment of spring bulbs in the last week of September so be sure to make plans to come and get some!
We are also hosting a bulb planting class at the nursery that will provide you with detailed information about planting and fertilizing bulbs. You can sign up for the class HERE.
Fall is also a good time to plant raspberries, blueberries and grapes.
Come into the nursery soon to gather up your favorites! We have lots of raspberries, and lots of grapes are coming soon! And yes, there are some blueberries too!
General clean up, raking leaves, and cleaning out general garden debris in your flower beds will save you the hassle of a messy clean up in the fall, and promote healthy flower beds and plants in the spring!
GOOD TIP: Trees, shrubs and perennials can establish roots in soils that range from 45-65 degrees. In some cases, fall planting can actually be better for the plant than asking it to endure sweltering summer temperatures. The exception to the rule are evergreens.
So, tell me about perennials…
Some perennials don’t handle cold weather very well, and the cold can lead to multiple problems with pests and diseases. Cutting them back can help to protect them for a robust ‘come back’ in the spring! As a rule, most perennials should be cut back to between 3” - 6”.
GOOD TIP: Cutting old, diseased foliage in the fall helps a perennial be bigger and better in the spring! Some perennials need foliage for protection over the winter, and should be pruned in the spring. Refer to the care tags that came on your plant, or come see us and we’ll be happy to help guide you!
Here’s a list of 10 area favorite perennials & what to do to get them ready for winter
Bearded Iris (Iris Germanica) Bearded Iris is the king of the iris family! But they can harbor fungus and iris borers, so be sure to cut back the stalk once the flower has finished blooming. Remove damaged leaves. Cut back the leaves to approximately 6” above ground level in the fall.
Bee Balm (Mondarda Didyma) Bee mine! Bee balm is one of the most loved garden plants in the Inland Northwest! But they are prone to powdery mildew. If that happens, cut them back immediately. Otherwise, healthy growth should be left until spring. You can selectively trim and thin the plant, leaving seed heads for the birds over the winter.
Blanket Flowers (Gaillardia Xgrandiflora) This hardy plant can benefit from being cut back during the growing season. Encourage new and prolonged growth by cutting back the spent stems. Deadhead during the growing season to promote the continuous bloom of this gorgeous pop of color. Fall pruning will encourage full and healthier plants next spring!
Catmint (Nepete) This local favorite benefits from multiple prunings through the growing season. This will give the plant a boost, and help keep the foliage tall and strong. When fall comes knocking, it’s time to cut back the plant. If you don’t, the winter snows will topple the foliage, exposing the ‘crown’ of the plant, leaving a spectacular mess to clean in the spring!
Day Lily (Hemerocallis) Day lilies rise to the occasion and give us amazing pops of tall color through the summer months in our gardens! But it’s important to remove the spent stem stalks to encourage new blooms during the growing season, especially in the re-blooming varieties. This is another plant that you need to trim way back to prevent a very messy spring clean up.
Japanese Anemone (Anemone Hupehensis) Beetle haven! Those pesky guys love to nibble the foliage of this beautiful anemone, so most times, the foliage has disappeared by fall. Typically, any foliage that remains will turn black with the onset of cold weather, so cut it back for more beauty to come the following year!
Penstemon (Penstemon Barbatus) This is a plant that does NOT like to have wet feet (roots). As a rule of thumb, this plant typically will decline towards the end of summer and need to be cut back and thinned at that time. Leaving the old growth on the plant will do to the penstemon, what it will do to our friend the catmint…the snow weighs down the center, and exposes the crown. Cut this guy back too!
Peony (Paeonia) If the bearded iris is the king, surely the regal peony is the queen of the garden! It is terrifying to a new gardener, or a gardener new to growing peonies, to cut them back in the fall. The question lingers, ‘will they ever come back, or did I kill my beautiful peonies?’ Alas, the queen is susceptible to mildew, and the infected foliage should be removed immediately. The healthy foliage may turn golden in fall, and that is the cue to cut them back. Fear not, they will almost always make their return, resplendent for another year!
Phlox (Phlox Paniculata) Phlox ignites a firestorm of color in our summer gardens. Long after the peonies, tulips, and iris have left us for the season, the phlox continues to sway gracefully in the summer breeze. White, pinks, corals, purples, magentas…stunning colors to brighten up the flower beds. They, along with other perennials we’ve discussed, tend to fall prey to powdery mildew. Prune all the affected foliage and stems, and in the fall, after the blooms have faded, cut back the stems. Even if the plant is still healthy, it will benefit from the thinning process to increase airflow and prevent disease
And finally, the plant that is most asked about regarding pruning in the fall…
Lavender (Lavendula) How do I prune? When do I prune? Start pruning when plants are young. Pruning will help the plant to grow full and lush. It also helps prevent that woody growth at the base of the plant. As the plant matures, cut the plant back by 1/3 after the plant has finished blooming. Hand pruners are the preferred garden tool to create the coveted mound shape of the lavender! Put the hedge trimmers away! Keep pruning your older lavender plants, but don’t ever cut them down to the leafless mound. The ‘rule of thumb’ is to count back to the third node (raised bump where leaves grow) and cut above it for the most prolific growth in the spring and summer months!
Fall is the perfect time to work in your garden in the Inland Northwest!
Beautiful weather, ideal working conditions, and a crispness in the early morning air. Checkout our website for information on the pruning class that is coming up soon! CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS
Before we call this a wrap on the newsletter this week, remember…
LABOR DAY WEEKEND IS UPON US! Come see what’s new!
Huge mums, fall corn husks, kales & cabbages, and ornamental peppers…along with a huge load of trees (such as Princeton Gold maples), more amazing hydrangea and those stellar hibiscus we wrote about earlier this summer! And then there are the hellebores!
Hellebore (Helleborus x hybridus) Literally the first flower you will see, even peeking up thru the snow, the hellebore is a super cut flower and looks great in a vase. The photo above captures them as a cut flower, but look at the range of color! One of our favorites, they produce large glossy green leaves and beautiful blooms that can last for months, and the DEER HAVE NO TASTE FOR THEM! Our shade house is brimming with them! Come get some soon.
We look forward to seeing you this holiday weekend! We will be open our normal hours! If you haven’t already done so, be sure to sign up for our Rewards Program the next time you are at the nursery and start earning points towards your first reward!
Safe and happy Labor Day to you all!
