by CMG Adrienne M

Chrysanthemum from Pixabay by Suppenkasper

If your knees aren’t green by the end of the day, you ought to seriously re-examine your life. ~Bill Watterson, Cartoonist: Calvin and Hobbes~

The cooler weather coming soon will make being outdoors a nice time for working in the garden.

Remember that the Monarch butterflies are still flying through our area on their way to over-wintering areas in Mexico. They will be feeding on several kinds of flowers including Pride of Barbados, so delay cutting back blooms until the end of the month.

Monarch with Tag by CMG Jennifer K 2020

By now you have chosen a color theme or specimen plants for your fall garden. With the variety of colorful plants now available in local nurseries, shopping for your selections can be exciting, and a very pleasant time even if all you want to do is look. Texas A&M Agrilife has an online guide on the use of seasonal color
Chrysanthemums in all colors and shapes are available now. Transplant them into established beds or into your favorite flower pots for a quick and easy splash of color.
Deadheading of flowering perennials and annuals will keep them attractive and extend their blooming. Some plants, such as marigolds, geraniums and zinnias, need to have faded flowers removed manually, either with the fingers or with pruning shears. The flowers of some others, such as begonias, impatiens, vinca and salvias, fall off cleanly after fading and do not need to be manually removed.
October is the last month to fertilize your lawn before the winter season. Information is provided by Bexar County AgriLife.
The seeds of Mexican Buckeye (ungnadia speciose) can be planted directly into the garden this month. They will germinate in about three weeks and be insulated by the soil through the winter until the warmer season. If planted in a container, use one that is deep to accommodate the long initial root. “Mr. Smarty Plants” at the Johnson Wildflower Center can be helpful.

Mexican Buckeye, ungnadia speciose, from www.wildflower.org

This is a good month for planting roses. They will have time to grow new roots and become established before the spring/summer blooming season. If you are going to move a planted rose, however, consider waiting until it has stopped blooming, but not later than mid-February.
Plants in containers need to be conditioned before being moved indoors for the winter. Start now by moving them to warmer spots that are away from the wind.
There is time to grow several varieties of tender vegetables before our first killing freeze. A delight in gardens and containers is Patio Baby Eggplant, which is 40-45 days to maturity from transplant. Check out the Texas A&M Agrilife Fall Vegetable Gardening Guide for more info.

Eggplant from Pixabay by Sendy Wulandhary

Is your landscape contributing to a health and sustainable environment? Find out by taking the Earth-Kind® challenge from Texas A&M

Chrysanthemum from Unsplash.com by Pedro Vit

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