Last Call for Fall: Southwestern Landscapes
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| Photo Credit: David L. Morgan |
| This may only look like trash to you, but to us it’s good riddance to an overgrown garden. |
As the days shorten and lower temps arrive, we know fall weather is near and winter is not far off.
At least that’s what the almanac says. For South- westerners, there’s still work to be done in our gardens. While in some of our region’s areas light snow falls in October, others won’t get their first freeze until December. So don’t unpack your sweaters until you roll up your sleeves! Here’s what still needs to be done in your yard: - “Un-landscape” your garden. Now’s the time to trash the trash, junk the junk, weed out the weeds. You found out this hot summer what worked in the garden and what didn’t, so grab the shovel and get busy tossing the “what didn’ts.” You’ll have a cleaner, tidier garden and a place to start for Task No. 2.
- Fall is for planting! Trees and shrubs put in the ground now will have a head start come next spring. Don’t wait any longer – do it now. (And consider No. 3.)
| Add Photo to Journal |  | | Photo Credit: David L. Morgan | | Our mailbox lantana, which we treat as an annual, never looked as showy as in the fall. |
- Plant bulbs. Believe it or not, there are some really neat bulbs you can plant in the calcareous, basic soils of the Southwest. (Are you familiar with rain lily?) Check your local garden center for recommendations for your particular area.
- Finish off those fall webworms. In the US, 88 tree species are hosts to this pest. This year, webworms seem to have attacked just about all our deciduous species – pecans, mulberries, oaks, Chinese pistaches, elms, maples and persimmons. Don’t let your trees remain infested; instead, pull off the webs, cut off small limbs where webworms inhabit, and spray Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) in your trees.
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| Tools |
- Make sure your garden tools are all cleaned of soil and sharpened before they’re put away for the winter. Rust is the big enemy of garden implements.
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| Resources |
- For good advice on growing bulbs in the Southwest, look over Garden Bulbs for the South by Scott Ogden (Timber Press).
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Next Steps
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Articles
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Yes…Hardy Bulbs for the Southwest!
Think just because you live in the Southwest that you can’t enjoy the beauty that bulbs bring to the garden? Think again!
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Five Great Natives of the Great Southwest
It’s hard to choose the best native plants of the vast southwestern US, but here are five that are outstanding in color, form and landscape performance.
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Help Your Marginally Hardy Plants Survive Winter
Do you have some tender plants you can’t bear to part with now that summer’s over? You can’t just leave them outside in their containers, or they’ll surely fall victim to autumn’s frosts. Here are some ideas to help you get your plants through winter’s chill.
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