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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: August 31, 2007
Contact: Cassie Larson at (651) 633-4987
Color Your Landscape this Fall and Throughout the Year
Get out your crayons, markers, and colored pencils and "Color your Landscape!" Beautiful gardens and landscapes bursting with color are possible in every season.spring, summer, fall, and yes, even winter. If you are looking for a way to energize your landscape, start this fall. According to the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association (MNLA), the new season provides numerous opportunities for homeowners to add color to their landscape.
Container Gardens Create a Tapestry of Color
Container gardening is a great way to add color to your landscape all year round. Pansies, asters and mums are well-known choices for fall blooming containers, but don't overlook ornamental grasses or berry-producing shrubs.
Need some help selecting some unique plants for your seasonal containers? MNLA gardening professionals have put together some recipes to help you succeed! Five container recipe cards have recently been posted online at www.GardenMinnesota.com/planting_ideas.htm . The recipes include: Spring, Summer Shade, Summer Sun, Fall, and Winter. These recipe cards include a photo, a listing of plant suggestions, as well as a diagram of how to plant the materials in your pot for success! Print off a copy of the recipe card and copy it. Soon you'll be creating your own combinations.
Enjoy the Kaleidoscope of Trees & Shrubs in the Fall
Cool nights and warm days ignite the changing colors of autumn leaves. Fiery maples, majestic oaks and bright birches light up the landscape during the fall season. Consider planting a tree or shrub this fall that can give you a burst of red, yellow, or orange.
September and October are some of the best months to plant trees and shrubs. Stress on the plants is reduced with late season planting and gives them a chance to establish a strong root system. With cooler temperatures and less intense sunlight, fall is more forgiving than the dry summer months. Water requirements diminish during these months, and mulch sources abound since leaves are plentiful in the fall.
Also consider planting trees and shrubs this fall that will provide drama and color in your winter landscape - consider a crabapple with red fruit, evergreen boughs, or red 'Flame' willow.
The Perennial Palette
Emerge from the long winter with a bursting palette of perennials and flowering bulbs. If you enjoy the fragrance and color of tulips, daffodils, and other spring blooming bulbs, fall is the perfect planting time. Perennial plants entering dormancy are not under pressure to produce top growth and blooms and will develop a stronger root system. Most perennials flower in the spring or early summer, but if planted during these seasons may not have adequate time to bloom.
Another advantage of fall planting is that water requirements usually diminish. The cooler temperatures and less intense sunlight offer a more forgiving environment than the dry summer months. In addition, mulch and leaves are plentiful in the fall. Mulching garden beds increases moisture retention and reduces weeds.
Consult the experts at your local independent nursery or garden center for plant recommendations that are right for your conditions.
Keeping your Lawn Green
Fall is for planting in your garden, but don't neglect keeping your lawn green - psychologically green helps the eyes relax and recover from strain. Early fall - mid-August to mid-September - is the optimal time to sow grass seed. In Minnesota , the vast majority of our lawns consist of cool-season grasses. That is, they grow most actively during the cooler spring and fall periods. Lawn fertilization and weed control may also be beneficial, depending on your yard. Consult the lawn care experts at your local garden center for information on grasses that grow best in your area.
To find a garden center or landscape professional in your area, visit Minnesota's on-line gardening resource, GardenMinnesota.com.
The Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association is the state's largest green industry trade association with more than 1,500 member businesses including garden centers; landscape contractors and designers; tree and flower growers; irrigation contractors; and lawn, tree, and garden services.
This web site is provided as a service to consumers by members of the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association ( MNLA)