From big, showy blooms to sweet, ripe fruits, it's almost too easy to make your backyard beautiful and abundant in the spring and summer, but what about during fall? Don’t let your gorgeous garden fade to a dull wasteland once the cooler months roll around. The good news is, it doesn't have to be this way!
With a little planning, your fall garden can be just as attractive as it is in peak season. Plus, for those of you who like to grow your own food, there's plenty of opportunity for late-season fruits and veggies. Get some inspiration from our fall planting guide.
The nights might be drawing in and there's a chill in the air, but with some thought and careful fall planting, you can still enjoy your yard all through autumn.
Shop this article: Flower Seeds, Fruit Seeds and Vegetable Seeds
While we love the beautiful orange and red hues of the fall landscape, it doesn't mean you can't have other colors in your backyard. You'll find a variety of fall flowers to brighten up the darkening days. These are some of our top choices.
Pansies: Available in a wide range of colors and varieties, you can easily find a pansy that you'll love. Plus, in many areas, pansies planted in the fall will bloom again in the spring.
Aster: With stunning purple, pink, white, or blue flowers, aster is a striking addition to any flowerbed. Grow it as a fall perennial or an annual.
Dianthus: Its beautiful petals, color variety and sweet scent make this flower perfect for your fall garden.
Chrysanthemum: The hardy "mum" is a fall classic, but don't underestimate its beauty and vibrancy.
Summer berries might be over and done with, but you can still find a range of fruits for a fall harvest.
Apples: Ripening from late summer and well into fall, don't overlook the humble apple. While you can start out with sapling, mature apple trees are more affordable than you might think.
Rhubarb: While you'll get your first rhubarb stalks much earlier in the year, this prolific plant thrives in fall, too.
Cranberries: If you live in New England or the Upper Midwest, fall means cranberries!
It's easy to eat your veggies throughout fall. In early fall you might find that summer crops, such as tomatoes and okra, are still producing, but hardier fall crops will see you through the cool season. Some hardy vegetables to plant in fall include:
Rutabaga: It might not be an extremely common choice, but this unassuming root vegetable is delicious mashed, roasted, or simmering in stews.
Arugula: While it's not especially tolerant to frost, it doesn't like hot weather, either, so peppery arugula is ideal for growing in early fall.
Kale: Not only is it nutrient-packed, kale's flavor is actually enhanced by frost, so it's a great fall vegetable for growing in cooler areas.
Beets: Rich and earthy, beets aren't to everyone's favorite, but if you do like them, they're excellent for a fall vegetable garden. Both the leaves and the roots are edible.
If you're a fan of fall foliage, you might want to plant some trees or shrubs to highlight the breathtaking change of colors. You'll need to choose whether you want to acquire some mature trees or shrubs to plant straight into the earth, or whether you prefer to plant saplings in large containers to limit their size.
Want to get some of the most striking fall colors nature can offer? Try planting red maple or sugar maple, sourwood, sweetgum, fothergilla, oakleaf hydrangea, sassafras, or smooth witherod.
While we talk in general terms about what plants you could grow in the fall, the exact species that will thrive depends on where you live. The United States is split into a wide range of "plant hardiness zones" defined by the United States Department of Agriculture. These zones are based on factors such as average temperature, and first and last frost dates.
Essentially, what this means is that you'll be able to grow a wider range of plants in areas of the U.S. that have warmer autumn temperatures. So, while Floridians might be harvesting avocados well into fall, New Yorkers couldn't dream of such a thing. It should be possible to grow the plants listed during fall in most parts of the U.S., but check the hardiness zone where you live to be sure.
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Lauren Corona writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
