Experts share West Tenn. fall planting tips
WEST JACKSON — Even though the temperatures outside feel more like late summer, autumn is finally here and there is still plenty to do in the garden. If you want your garden to look like a work of art with lots of color, there are experts at the West Tennessee Agriculture Research and Education Center who can help. “Fall is a great time to plant trees and shrubs in the garden,” said Jason Reeves, University of Tennessee agriculture horticulturalist. “It also is a good time to plant bulbs. So daffodils are a great plant to put in the garden. Very low maintenance and deer proof. They’re there for years to come.” Reeves said it also is a great time to plant winter annuals such as colorful mums and even cold-hardy vegetables such as broccoli. “Container plants are great for this time of year besides planting into the garden,” said Carol Reese, UT Ag Extension ornamental horticulturalist. “More traditional things like pansies and violas are commonplace right now to put into containers since they only last up until the first frost and are more of a decoration.” “There is a lot of great foliage plants that you can mix in there that will look fantastic,” Reese said. “There are some evergreen ferns and some broadleaf evergreen shrubs that would look good throughout the winter. So mix those up, and that will have a big bang of color with snow on it.” Experts say these plants require little to no maintenance, which is great for those who may have limited time and money. “Some of your more tender things, you might want to be concerned about adding a little extra mulch, but in truth most of the things are going to be hardy,” Reese said. “I think a lot more times we need to worry about things being well-drained through the winter months.” The good news is that if you are looking for more gardening advice and plants to buy, you can visit the Agriculture Research Center this Wednesday and Thursday for the 6th annual plant sale. The event starts at 1:30 p.m. and will offer everything from the latest in fall gardening advice to some of the colorful plants to put in the ground this fall. For more information on the sale and general questions about gardening, visit the Seen On 7 section of our website.
