Something Different for Fall

 My house was beginning to look like one of those old cars parked in the side yard and forgotten. You know how the grass grows up around it ‘cause nobody has energy to move it and mow the space. Well, my problem wasn’t grass but rather all these trees that seem to pop up too near the foundation and grow to head height overnight. I had to call in the troops! Armed with heavy-duty pruners, three of us tackled all those pesky things and got them cut down in no time. Won the battle but the war will continue.
There was a bright spot in all that manual labor, thank goodness. As I walked around the house, determined to obliterate all signs of privet, I noticed that my fall crocus are up and ready to burst into brilliant yellow bloom. I look forward to these little guys every year and am always cheered by their appearance. Invest in some yourself; you’ll be glad you did.
You know how excited we get in the spring when it’s time to start the hunt for the perfect annuals to plant in the garden or in pots on the porch? That little surge of energy that spring always brings? Why not create that same initiative in the fall? There are lots of blooming plants that will thrive in cooler temperatures and even survive a little dose of frost. This is a great way to provide color when flower color is scarce. And I’m not talking about chrysanthemums.
Pansies, dianthus, lobelia, snapdragons and verbena top the list. The most popular, pansies, are available in a wide array of colors and sizes. Jumbo pansies have very large, single flowers. The “super flora” pansies are multi-branched and have smaller but many more blooms per plant.
When you go to the garden center at the home store or to a nursery, look around for something different to plant in your garden or containers to add color to your porch or deck. It hasn’t gotten too cool yet to spend some time outside, sitting in your favorite lawn chair and enjoy the colors of fall. The flower colors, that is.
While you’re at the garden center, look for those autumn crocus which emerge from the ground in September and October. They are slightly larger than the spring crocus, and bloom in pink, rosy lavender, white and yellow. Some even have a checkered pattern on the petals. Crocus are also a good choice for forcing indoors around holiday time. Makes a great Christmas gift.