It’s here! Fall has arrived. The weather is crisp, football is in full force, and baseball is winding down. That means it’s time to plant some plants!

Planting  Season

The fall is the best time to plant for several reasons:

• The temperature is perfect for being outside
• The ground is still warm and easy to work
• It provides plants the time to establish some roots in the new soil.

Your plant roots are growing even when you don’t see any growth in the foliage. This allows the plants to really take off once they flush with new growth in the spring minimizing stress to the plant as the summer heat takes effect.

Got  Plants?

A great opportunity to find some wonderful plants and support a fantastic place in our community is at the third annual Huntsville Botanical Garden Fall Plant Sale. This year, the plant sale takes place October 13th and 14th. They have a great selection to choose from and include several of my favorites.

A few of my favorites

SERIVCEBERRY

• If you’re looking for a small native tree to provide you with some spring color, and then a beautiful explosion of fall color, you should check out a serviceberry.
• With white blooms around April, this tree helps to signify that warmer weather is truly on the way.
• It also will provide some edible fruit that is believed to have good nutritional value.
• And the fall color for this tree will rival most if not all trees for beautiful leaves.

OAK

The garden guild also has several larger trees for both fall color and shade.

• The absolute best large tree you could plant for our area if you have the space is an oak.
• This tree is a proven performer to give you some much needed shade in the heat of summer and if planted on the south side of your house, has the ability to save you money on your power bills as it grows.
• I cannot recommend oaks enough, and while there are other trees at the sale, none will provide you the long term benefits or return on your investments like an oak.

  

BLOOMING PLANTS

You may be thinking, “I love fall leaves and shade but I really don’t want to see the beautiful blooms I love so much fade away!” Well never fear, the Huntsville Botanical Garden Fall plant sale can also quench your thirst for blooms and interest that last well towards the year’s end.

These plants will give your garden enjoyment year round:

• ‘Karl Foerster’ Feather Reed Grass
• Swamp Sunflower
• Vitex
• Camellia Varieties

Event  Information

Dates and Times:
Saturday, 10/13/12: 9am-5pm
Sunday Sunday, 10/14/12: 1-5 pm
Location: Huntsville Botanical Garden, Grisham Pavilion
Cost: Free admission