How Does Your Garden Grow?
Hydrangeas and boxwood make for a formal planting.
Fall plant care in Michigan
By Sarah Kittle
Like most homegrown local gardeners (and historically, most Detroit Lions fans), by the latter part of the season, I’m already thinking about next year. Should I add raised beds or containers? Should I expand my borders? Put in new plants or move the ones I have around?
This year, I asked an expert — and Tony Konja said, “It’s not too late to add plants in your garden.”
Konja is not only the owner of Artistic Outdoors, a (mostly) commercial landscaping company, he is also a garden aficionado. His home garden, although extensive, is a modern garden, what he calls a “classic California look,” with multiples of the same plants (boxwood and hydrangea) and straight clean lines. Hydrangeas are some of his favorites, because they bring robust color in the months of July and August. “Different months have different plants for color,” says Konja.
Different colored chrysanthemums create a bright foundation planting. Photo courtesy of Artistic Outdoors.
It’s Not Too Late
You may think August is too far into the season to add any plants to your garden, but that’s where you’d be wrong. Late blooming crops like beets, carrots, kale, lettuce, peas and spinach can still be planted now. And for spring flowers, plant fall bulbs.
“August and September are the time to plant fall bulbs,” says Konja. Spring blooming bulbs like tulips and daffodils must be planted the previous fall. Summer blooming bulbs like lilies and irises can be planted now, as long as it’s not too hot. Shrubs like burning bushes, Rose of Sharon, and red twig dogwoods can be planted any time in the gardening season.
If you are new to gardening, you might wonder what the difference is between annual and perennial plants. Basically, annuals only live for one year, while perennials live for two or more years. Some perennials not only come back, but they also grow and spread. If you are thinking of removing entire species of plants from your garden, you need to know what is permissible. For instance, you cannot cut down cattails in the city of West Bloomfield. Take it from Konja, who is the preferred landscaping vendor for the city.
He has also recently installed a butterfly garden for the city of Southfield. Butterfly gardens and meadow gardens may be trending in other areas, but most of Konja’s customers still prefer manicured lawns. As beautiful as a wildflower garden may be, placed next to a manicured lawn, it just looks messy.
For color this fall, plant mums, daylilies, black-eyed Susan and purple coneflower. It’s the time of the season to transplant perennials, too, as long as the ground has cooled down somewhat. August is the time to take stock of your garden, see what is working and what isn’t, and plan changes.
Fall gardening tasks include amending soil. If you’ve never tested your garden soil, now is the time to do so. A soil test will show you the soil PH, some nutrient levels, organic matter percentage, and other soil aspects. You can buy soil test kits at your local garden center.
If your soil is lacking nutrients, you can add them in. It’s also a good time to replenish mulch and add compost or organic matter to the soil. Mulch not only protects the ground from frost but it conserves moisture as well. Amending your soil can make all the difference next year.
Summer days can be hot and dry, so watering your plants will need to be a top priority for both you and your garden this month. Watering thoroughly and deeply is much better than watering often but lightly. It is best to water in the morning so that the foliage has had time to dry off before nightfall.
Another fall garden task is dividing and transplanting perennials. Plants like hostas, daylilies, and irises tend to like room. If they get too crowded, they fail to flourish. Divide and spread them to other parts of the garden (or share with friends) in the fall when temperatures have cooled down.
With the wild windstorms we have experienced this summer, you may need to prune or trim your trees to assess any damage; however, that is an annual task for Michigan gardeners that should be undertaken every fall. It promotes healthy growth and reduces the risk of winter damage.
Gardening is not for the faint of heart. It requires optimism and patience and is a way of showing you believe in tomorrow.
Perennial hostas and astilbes are planted with annuals like daisies and petunias. Photo courtesy of Artistic Outdoors.
My garden is very informal and has grown organically (literally and figuratively) over the years. When I first moved into my little cottage nestled in the Pleasant Lake Highlands of West Bloomfield in 2020, I was overjoyed to see the abundant wildlife parading through my yard; however, after rejoicing in the beautiful buds adorning my newly planted rose bushes one evening and awaking the next morning to see naught but stems, I have changed my tune.
Since then, this scenario has played out in numerous ways. I moved my plants to containers and placed them on my patio. My lovely tomato plants had beautiful little tomatoes yesterday; today they are all stalks. I could cry.
Konja’s advice regarding deer and rabbits in the garden is to use repellent spray. I took his advice and ordered some, sprayed it on my hostas and so far, so good.
Things to Do in Your Garden Now
To close out the summer garden season, cut back tired plants that have finished blooming for the year. Pull weeds before they go to seed. This will save you a lot of work later on. Fertilize your plants for the last time this year. Do not use a high nitrogen fertilizer, since you are not trying to promote new foliage growth currently. Instead, use fertilizer with a higher component of phosphorus or potassium.
To prepare your garden for fall weather, you should first clean up and remove any summer debris from your beds and borders. Remove any dead or diseased plants as well. This helps prevent pests and diseases from overwintering and allows for better air circulation.
Now is the time to harvest any remaining vegetables. That first frost may seem like it’s way off in the distance, but we are in Michigan and it’s coming in the next month or so. It’s also a good time to prune shrubs and trees as needed to remove dead or damaged branches. This promotes healthy growth and reduces the risk of winter damage. If you have tender perennials or shrubs that are borderline hardy for your zone, consider protecting them with burlap wraps or specialized covers next month to shield them from harsh winter winds and frost.
Over Winter
Then it’s finally time to think about next year. Take notes on what worked well and what didn’t in your garden this year. Use this information to plan improvements or changes for next year’s garden layout and plant selection. Clean and properly store your garden tools and equipment. Sharpen blades on pruners and shears to ensure they are ready for use in the spring.
Does your garden hold any interest in the winter? Simply leaving a few perennials uncut in the fall can add interest and attract songbirds to your garden in the winter. Perennials that provide winter interest and seeds for birds include astilbe, bee balm, purple coneflower, and bachelor button, as well as ornamental grasses. Birds will appreciate the important source of food and protection these plants offer if not deadheaded at the end of the season. Some of these winged creatures may reward you in the spring by staying around to feast on insects in your garden.
If you have gardening questions, MSU Extension has a statewide toll-free lawn and garden hotline: (888) 678-3464. Advanced master gardeners answer the line weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.