While most gardeners consider spring the most serious planting season, and consider planting season over by mid summer, this isn't the case. Now there are many lovely flowers and attractive vegetables that can be planted in late summer to be enjoyed this fall.

One of the perks of fall gardening is the much more tolerable weather, for both you and your plants. The scorching heat and sun of July and August has gone. Plants grown in the fall have much more ideal weather conditions in which to thrive and grow. If you want to extend your gardening season into fall consider planting root vegetables like carrots, radishes and beets. Lettuce and spinach and potatoes do well planted in fall. Also, fall is a good time to take a look around your yard, as this is the time of year that some perennials and trees can be planted. Don't forget spring flower bulbs! Now is the time to go through those catalogs you've been receiving and make your order for your show next spring!

Fall is also a time to take stock of your garden for next year. Start with your soil. The backbone of any garden is the soil. It doesn't matter how much you spend on your plants and flowers, if you don't have good soil in your garden they won't thrive and grow well for you. Your soil needs to be porous and absorb water well. Do you need to add a soil ammender? Do you need to add a fertilizer? It's good to do this on a regular basis as fertilizers encourage and stimulate plant growth. What were your bug problems last year? Before you have loss or damage to your garden next year, make sure that you're prepared.

You've seen how your plants have performed this season. What did well and what didn't? Is there a plant that can be moved to a different location where it might fare better? What plants need to be divided? Can you use these new divisions somewhere else in the yard? Fall is the time to walk around your garden and make notes for spring. It's also a good idea for you to make a sketch of the garden itself, noting where each flower is. This way you'll know in spring that what's coming up is a perennial returning, and not a weed to be pulled.

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