A number of factors actually promote healthy transplanting in the fall.

Poppy Sampler
Item # C0033 		Poppy Sampler

each $36.95
Iris 'Autumn Circus'
Item # 61023 		Iris 'Autumn Circus'
Tall Bearded Iris

each $12.99
3 to 6 plants $12.79
7 or more $12.59
  • Topic: Fall Gardening
  • Author: Mary Ann Walz
  • Keywords: fall planting, transplanting, fall gardening, bulbs, crocus, daffodils, tulips, allium
  • Date: October 2008

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As the days grow shorter and the evenings grow cooler, as you begin to anticipate the golden color of the Aspen trees and think of buying apples at a farm stand, it’s also a good time for planting. But why plant now when you have to wait until next year to enjoy the results?

Perhaps the most obvious answer is that fall is the only time to plant many spring blooming bulbs. Tulips, Daffodils, Crocus, and a wide array of wildflower bulbs are early spring bloomers. They don’t seem to be bothered by adverse spring winds, late freezes, or spring snowfall so they can be especially heartening as we await the arrival of warm spring weather and garden growth it creates.

Look for bulbs to fill special needs. Deer, rabbits and gophers avoid Daffodils. Rabbits and deer also resist Alliums. Also look for bulbs that fill accent needs. Crocus and small wildflowers such as the :miniature Iris”:catalog/browse/miniature-wildflower-iris/, Galanthus, and Chionodoxa look especially pretty planted in native grass lawns, tucked into perennial borders or among groundcovers. Tulips add a lot of color to the garden and are ideal for cut arrangements.

Beyond bulbs a whole other gamut of trees, shrubs and perennials exist, and most will do very well in fall. Using the northern New Mexico climate as an example, a number of factors actually promote healthy transplanting. The soil remains warm but the days and nights are generally cooler so high temperatures do not stress plants. The dry soil has been refreshed by July and August rains and gentle breezes now replace the high winds of spring. In climates throughout the southwest that have milder winters, fall is the preferred time to plant.

Trees, shrubs and perennials planted in fall have ample time to establish strong roots, which ensures their ability to survive the winter. In fact, late summer and fall is the time when the vast majority of root growth occurs. The following spring, fall-planted perennials will have a substantial head start on those put out in the spring. They will be much larger and have more bloom, as their root systems will be well established.

Fall is also a great time to reflect on the overall design of your landscape. Did you have bare spots or gaps in the bloom season? Was there too much of one color and not enough of another? Did you see any plants in other gardens that you’d like to have in yours? If you’re like most gardeners, you undoubtedly answered “yes” to at least one of these questions.

Browse our plants online or leaf through our print catalog to select perennials for fall planting. You can view plants based on water needs or bloom time, look for particular colors or heights, and try to identify those plants you ‘ve seen elsewhere that you’d like to include in your landscape. If you’re not planting in the fall, you’re missing an excellent opportunity to strengthen your garden.