Fall is here and with it usually comes some fabulous weather for gardening. This time of year is perfect for moving, dividing and reorganising perennials, while the details are all still fresh in our minds! Sometimes in the spring it can be easy to forget size, colour or even what a certain plant is when everything is still peeking out of the ground. Fall is a great time of year to reevaluate what’s working in your garden.

When?

After Thanksgiving, when you have completed a thorough clean up and cut down of your perennials. It is much easier to make sense of your garden then.

Plan and think…

Look your garden over with a critical eye. Try to imagine what plants would look like in a different spot. Think of colour, bloom time and height. Is there a particular season when colour is lacking? Check out some photos that you may have taken through the season.

Go for it!

Get out a sharp spade and wheelbarrow. Try to reorganise your garden into large groups of perennials. Over the years, some plants may be seeding or spreading like crazy. Take them out! Be ruthless with anything that is not performing. Some perennials die out in the centre.
This is an indication that they are ready to be divided to maintain vigor. Dig out the whole clump, chop it up and replant smaller clumps. In order to minimize winter heaving, plant a little deeper than you normally would and ensure that the clump is well ‘heeled in’. Make some spaces for some new plants, and give away extra plants.

Have fun, wait and watch all your hard work blossom in the spring!