Fall Gardening Checklist – Preparing The Fall Garden For Spring

fall autumn garden imageI believe Fall has arrived. And I know that when it turns Autumn here in the desert southwest, it must be Fall everywhere.

For some folks, Fall is a time for a rest from the garden, mowing the lawn, and any landscaping plans. For others, it’s simply another gardening season with different methods of growing and planting.

As for myself, I have to go with the first group. I do love my yard and simple landscape and the therapy they provide me. However, after spending a Spring and Summer in a lot more yards than just my own, I look forward to the break.

Regardless of which group you fall under, there are still maintenance tasks as well as preparation for next Spring and Summer. So for that, I’ve grouped together a few tips for preparing the Fall garden as well as using the Fall and Winter garden.

Fall Garden Checklist
While a lot of this may be common sense and part of the avid gardeners Fall checklist, there may still be a few items here that haven’t been thought of. And for those that probably won’t get to any of it anyway, it’s a good read and an opportunity to say “hmmm, now that’s a real good idea”.

Planning Next Years Garden
Now, here’s where you can get ahead and cut down on having to do Everything in the Spring. Next Spring isn’t when you make plans for your new garden or landscaping. You’ll lose too much needed time. And some Spring gardening tasks such as planting certain bulbs and large trees will give better results when taken care of in the Autumn.

Planning Next Years Garden Part 2
Planning a garden to be beautiful, useful, and inviting for the entire next year growing seasons, requires some focus on plantings and how they respond to the seasons and different times of year. Once you have an idea of how you are going to use your garden, consider it as it is during the different seasons.

Fall Planting Tips
I wrote this article a long time ago but felt it has a place of mentioning in this post. For some plants and especially large trees and shrubs, Fall is the optimal planting season. This article has some good points and things you may want to consider if you’re planning on adding any plants in the Spring.

Winter Gardening For Birds
While this may be most appealing to the year ’round gardening folks in group two, some of you hibernaters may get some enjoyment from the songs and presence of Winter birds. Attracting birds to the Winter garden doesn’t require a lot of hard work. It just requires a little planning.

While these few tips and ideas are far from everything we could cover about Fall, Winter, and Spring gardening, they may give you a little to think about and a few new good ideas. And for those of us inclined to stay in our easy chair, it’s a good way to spend a few minutes on a lazy day.