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 »  Home  »  Fall Garden Refresher
Fall Garden Refresher

For September, Thor calls upon Liz Fikejs, natural lawn and garden expert with Seattle Public Utilities, to share the wisdom of beautiful, water-wise, trouble-free and eco-friendly gardening.

Thor Peterson: Liz, thanks for taking the time to share your expertise with us. Most gardeners have been working in their gardens since spring, and now they’re ready to head inside. But, I’ve heard that fall is one of the best times for gardening around here. Why is that?

Liz Fikejs: Fall is a great time to plant and mulch.  Planting now means you can take advantage of cooler fall air and warm soil. That’s a perfect combination for plants to develop strong roots before next spring.  Healthy roots make for more drought-tolerant, disease-resistant plants. Plus, when you plant in the fall, you can rely more on rain, rather than your sprinkler, to keep your plants watered.


TP: What do you mean by mulching? And how will that help my garden?


LF: Mulching is putting down compost, leaves, woodchips or bark on top of the soil around plants and trees. Any of these mulches will feed your soil, cut back on the abundance of winter and spring weeds and help retain moisture for next summer. I look at mulching as a preventive step that saves me time next year. 


TP: I’ve been considering adding more drought-tolerant plants to my yard. Now I know I need to mulch them. Where can I go to get plant ideas and other suggestions for fall gardening?


LF: Try these resources to help you get started:

• Buy mulch and organic fertilizers at a discount during Northwest Natural Yard Days, September 1-30, 2006 in the Puget Sound Area.
Check for stores in your area at www.yarddays.com.  

• Find nearly 250 plant ideas to match your garden’s soil, sun/shade and drainage conditions. View The Plant List produced by the Saving Water Partnership at www.savingwater.org/docs/PlantList.pdf.

• Attend a Savvy Gardener Class such as “Goodbye Lawn, Hello Garden” taught by Ciscoe Morris on Sunday, Oct 15th from 1:00 pm to 2:00. Class details at www.savingwater.org/education_classes.htm#savvy

• Enjoy seasonal advice on creating a beautiful garden with less water and no chemicals through the Savvy Gardener Connection. View the fall edition at www.savingwater.org/savvygardener/default.htm  and subscribe at at www.seattle.gov/lists/gardening.htm


 

Thor Peterson is a Residential Specialist with the City of Seattle’s Green Building Program. Six years of experience in the green building realm gives him expertise in a wide variety of green design strategies and products, including water and energy conservation, healthy and eco-friendly materials, indoor environmental quality, and low impact development approaches. Thor is a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professional and a graduate of the Sustainable Building Advisor certificate program.