With less than a week before the official start of fall, why not spend a few minutes learning how you can help the monarchs on their fall migration, or discovering ways to freshen up your containers for the new season? Or how about getting tips on how to get the upper hand on weeds or learning how to get a seasonal favorite to re-bloom? Monarch Migration: How You Can Help Millions of monarch butterflies migrate each fall. Those that spend summer west of the Rockies travel to the California coast or northern Mexico. Monarchs east of the Rockies migrate even farther—up to 3,000 miles—to forests in central Mexico. Providing fuel and safe habitats along the way is critical for their survival. By including some of these plants (especially those that bloom late summer to fall) in your garden and not using chemical herbicides, you can do your part to help them along their way. For more information on the monarch's migration and when you can expect the peak migration in your area, go to monarchwatch.org If you're looking for ideas and inspiration for your fall containers, we've got you covered! You'll also get tips on how to make the most of your fall planters and see a few of our favorites. We hope you'll be inspired to create your own festive fall containers. Photo by Rob Cardillo. Read more on container gardening in fall. Fall is a Great Time to Plant! One key to a spectacular spring garden is to get plants in the ground in fall. The cooler weather, additional rainfall, and still-warm soil all help plants settle in and get off to a great start come spring. There are still plenty of perennials, shrubs, and even a few cool-weather annuals available to order online from Proven Winners or purchase from your local garden center—but they're going fast! Pictured: Pearl Glam® beautyberry shrub with purple fruit in fall. Photo by: Proven Winners It's a never-ending battle to get the upper hand on weeds. Get a jump on next year's weeds now by applying a pre-emergent herbicide. If you have summer annual weeds that have gone to seed, applying a pre-emergent now will help keep those seeds from germinating and re-appearing next spring. Learn more, plus see 9 other ways to knock out weeds without using dangerous chemicals. Christmas (Cactus) in September If you get annoyed seeing holiday decorations for sale several months early, please don't be mad at me for mentioning "Christmas cactus" in September. Trust me, there's good reason! Getting Christmas cactus to rebloom can be tricky and it takes a little time. Learn what you need to be doing over the next weeks to get your Christmas cactus to bloom again. Plus, see how to identify the subtle differences between a Christmas and a Thanksgiving cactus. In addition to planting up your fall containers and taking care of weeds, here are a few things you can be doing in your garden this month: - Plan (warmer areas) or plant (colder areas) your spring-flowering bulbs Happy gardening! If you know someone who could use a few fall container ideas or would like to join you in helping the monarchs, or if you simply enjoyed this newsletter, please share it by clicking here! Not currently receiving this weekly newsletter? Subscribe here! No images? Click here for a web version of this email. |