The first official day of Fall has just passed and in just a few weeks Mother Nature will catch up to the
calendar.   The days are getting  shorter, rain is more abundant, and the best planting time of the year is NOW.    Fall is the best time to plant non drought tolerant plants such as azaleas, camellias, gardenias,
dogwoods fern  and  sod.  In other words, now is the best time of year to plant acid loving woodland
plants.  

Fall is definitely camellia season.  Choose from sasanqua (single petal blooms) or japonica (semi to double blooms) varieties for a shade loving addition to your landscape. 

Sasanqua camellias bloom early (November – January) and tend to have more open branching.  Sasanqua camellias will tolerate a bit more afternoon sunlight than japonica, but still consider them to be shade plants.

Japonicas are the “grand mistress’s” of the Southern garden.  Their luscious , double blooms in vibrant or pastel hues of white, pink, red  through purple, grace gardens from February through April.  When everything else in the landscape is looking winter drab, camellias are in full bloom and make beautiful blooms during the Holiday season.

For those of you “panting for pansies”, the first fall arrivals will hit the market this coming week.  There are so many new varieties of pansies on the market it is hard for me to keep the new series “straight”.  Many of the newer varieties are much more heat and “bolt” tolerant than their predecessors who literally melted and bolted with temperatures above 85.  Unfortunately, the new varieties are still not “deer proof” but they will last until mid April….if you can stand them that long.  If deer are an issue, plant massive beds of dianthus.  Dianthus are a fabulous blooming perennial that will bloom from now until late May, take a rest during the summer , and resume blooming in early September. 

My favorite are the parfait series with larger blooms, but the older sweet William variety is very hardy with smaller blooms.  
Chrysanthemums are readily available and should be planted in mass or used in containers.  There blooms will last until late October or a bit later if cooler temperatures prevail.  Mums, as we often refer to them, can be a bit picky on the water schedule.  It is imperative that mums never become “too dry” or too wet.  This leads to a quick demise.  Mums generally require being watered several times a week with excellent drainage….no standing water in a saucer.  

My favorite fall annual is the sonnet snapdragon.  These tall beautiful biennials will grow stately to 2-3’ and make a beautiful back drop for shorter annuals until the second hard freeze.  Do not forget Fall petunias too.  

For those of you with tropical landscapes around the pool, now is the time to prune hibiscus and bougainvillea back 30% and fertilize with hibiscus food.  The pruning now takes down some of the height…….to get ready for the freeze cloth in about 8 weeks and also rids plants of aphids and mealybugs by removing diseased growth.  Di syston is a must  (granular systemic insecticide) on hibiscus. 
The granular is worked into the soil or pot and the systemic insecticide is absorbed into the plant.  It takes only a minute to apply and these beautiful “bug magnets” go bug free.  
If weeds are a problem, it is not too apply a weed n feed for weed control in early Fall.  The temperature dictates the season, not the calendar.   Please remember, do not apply to NEW SOD or apply around new shrubs or plants.  Winterizer should be applied a minimum of three weeks before the first freeze.   
Winterizer is a fall/winter fertilizer, much needed for area lawns.  Winterizer feeds the root system through the winter months and gives that extra boost of potash (potassium) that is needed for hardiness and cold/heat tolerance.  After last winter, this product is a must.

Roses have one more full flush of blooms before winter, possibly two if winter does not come until December.  Prune lightly (20%) and fertilize with Bayer rose food with insecticide.  Excellent product, apply as concentrate with water to root system every 6 weeks for blooms through October.  

The morning temperatures are an absolute delight and I hope everyone is enjoying these hours before the temperatures climb.  I do believe God gave us the tranquility an enjoyment of nature and coffee for this time of reflection and prayer each morning.  
Enjoy your landscape, visit online at Kim@stewartsgardencenter.com.  Watch for us on Facebook soon.

Happy Gardening.
Great Fall Tips To Get Your Garden Started