If your garden was anything like mine in Chicago this summer, there were many days you watched your plants suffer from hot and humid temperatures. I’ll admit, some days it was just too hot to go out and water, weed and deadhead!
This year, more than ever, I’m really excited about fall being just around the corner, and I’m going to make up for time lost in the garden by planting some cool-season annuals and vegetables.
Cooler temperatures and fewer bugs are just a few reasons to dig in after your summer veggies and blooms have given it their all. The change in season also brings more rain, and who doesn’t love Mother Nature helping with your daily watering? These elements make for minimal work and produce great harvest to serve your family and friends during the Thanksgiving and holiday seasons.
A new trend that many gardeners are looking into this year that I really love is edible landscaping. You can easily revamp walkways, patios, hanging baskets and garden beds with edible plants, including both vegetables and annuals. Traditional cool-season vegetables like lettuce, mustard greens, Swiss chard or kale paired with colorful, vibrant fall flowers, such as pansies, will add a trendy, rustic theme to your cool-season garden.
Not only will you impress friends and family when you provide fresh-from-the-garden produce well into the fall, but it also will add to the curb appeal to your home! Incorporating edible blooms like pansies will wow dinner guests by adding flair to pastries, salads and side dishes. The mint-tasting blooms are sure to be a hit!
To get started, find out the projected first frost date in your region and work backward to determine the best planting time. Cool-season veggies require a different length of time to mature in order to tolerate the drop in temperature, so it is vital to know how early to get started.
What kind of veggies or plants are you planning to incorporate in your gardens this fall?
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We have some basil that is so big and bushy, and we plan to make it into tea. Our banana pepper survived the summer and is still producing peppers. But the best part is the wild onions that grow wild starting about November, with pink or white flowers and little onions that are neither sweet nor oniony. Even the greens are edible.