“Can I Come Into the Out Now?”
That’s one of my favorite quotes from the movie ‘Home’ when the little alien was locked in the fridge. XD (I’ve talked like that ever since lol)
But really, that’s what my cool flowers are saying. It’s 6 weeks before my first frost! I keep checking the forecast to make sure. But according to the estimate, I should be right on track.
Last week I started to pull out my warm weather crops. It’s hard because they still looked healthy. But holding on to the old, prevents you from getting the new. So you have to be tough and pull those plants out. It was a good thing I did because if I waited till this week to do all that I would’ve been toast.
I measured and divided my blank canvas using landscape staples and twine. I still had to weed and amend the soil. The plastic had to be cut for the various bed sizes and holes burned according to the number of plants in it. I had to rethink my layout because some transplants would have shaded out others. So it wasn’t a uniform activity.
I got a few bags of garden soil and a bag of organic fertilizer. I mulched with cardboard in some places and black plastic in others. (The black plastic helps to warm the soil over winter.) I made the holes in the plastic a bit larger to make sure water could get to the plant.
I don’t have the allotment over the winter so I needed to make the best out of the small space at my mom’s house. It’s mostly shade so in my planning I had to figure out which plants could tolerate that and which ones would need full sun; which were hardy in my zone and which would need to be covered. Then I planted the ones needing cover side by side... A lot more involved than you thought right? ;)
I also realized there were some things that would do better if I planted them from seed now - as opposed to 6 weeks ago. So I restarted sweet peas and bachelor buttons. In 2-3 weeks they’ll go out. I pushed the envelope on Dara and Bupleurum so I had some transplants, but I sowed more this week. The Honeywort, Salvia, Rudbeckia and Feverfew have done great. And surprisingly, because of the precautions I took with my Nigella, their transplants were fine too - although they do better direct sown. Larkspur was not part of my garden plan but I watched too many videos and I’ve been inveigled. So I’m going to try that next to my Delphiniums. And last but not least: direct sowing my Baby’s Breath.
Last year’s fall planted flowers did really well so I’m excited to see if these will be successful. There are a few factors I’ve changed and several new varieties added.
The garden looks quite bare right now because all the plants are tiny. It went from lots of height and fullness to a lot of open space. But these plants get huge in the spring. You’ll see…
How is your fall planting going? Remember, there may still be things you can direct sow now. And if not, cool flower planting doesn’t end in the fall. Early spring gives you a second chance. Check out The Gardener’s Workshop podcasts: ‘Cool Flowers: The Other Side of the Story’ and, ‘Seed Talk: Cool Flowers Direct Seeding.’
If you intend to plant in early spring, NOW is the time to prepare your planting space. Remember, for a lot of us, the ground is frozen at that time of the year. But if you prepare your planting space by amending the soil and covering it with some kind of black plastic, it will keep that soil workable for spring.
Please share your gardens pics and plans with me over on FB or IG at lovelyrainflowerfarmmd. And don’t forget to subscribe for any updates on the website! Hope you guys are well!
Toodles,
Kerri.
