A gardener for all seasons

As summer winds down, gardeners start itching to do something other than water, water, water. And, maybe, water. There’s a need to tidy up, move things around, plant something new. But hold on, anxious gardeners. You might just be on the verge of making a big garden mistake. For instance:

It could be way too early to…

• Plant spring bulbs. Yes—bulbs are in stores, calling your name, enticing you with their pictures of cheerful pastel blooms. But the ground is still too warm right now in most garden zones. Plant too early and they will sprout before the first freeze. Think: mid-to-late October for zones 4/5, November for zones 6-8.
• Trim back trees and shrubs. While you can cut away broken, dead or diseased branches at any time, major pruning is a terrible idea right now. Why? Pruning stimulates new growth, and that beautiful growth will shrivel up and die in a snap freeze or even dramatic temperature drops. The best time to seriously prune is late-winter/early-spring. 
• Move blooming perennials. While early-fall is usually a great time to divide and/or transplant your perennials, you can sap energy and do serious damage to blooming—especially ever-blooming—shrubs. Instead, wait several weeks past their last blooms, or even until they’ve gone dormant.
  
  

Do some research before you…

• Buy trees and shrubs for the wrong garden zones. Hardiness zones are essential for growing plants in your geographic area. Your climate may be too cold or even too warm for something you see in a magazine, so go local. A nearby garden center will probably carry perennials for your zone, but an online grower has plants that will prefer Michigan weather to Louisiana. Know exactly what zone you live in by typing in your ZIP code on the US Department of Agriculture website. 
• Plant perennials in the wrong sun/shade areas. Trees die and grow, buildings come down or go up, and the sun shifts in the sky throughout the seasons. All of those situations change the amount of sun or shade your new perennials will need to survive and flourish. Think two seasons ahead to determine if those hostas or hydrangeas will fry in full sun, or young roses will peter out in deep shade.

So just gather some important details before you attack that fall garden to-do list. Your plants will reward you for it next spring and summer.