Ease into fall with chores and new plants

The fall planting season is finally upon us.

During the early days of fall, our soil is still warm, which is an excellent environment for plant and tree roots to begin to establish. If all goes well, rains will follow shortly after installation.

This is the time of year to install foundation shrubs and trees, rehab browning lawns, compost perennial beds, plant winter veggies and spruce up tired container plantings. It’s a lot to do, but it’s worth it for the reward of a beautiful landscape.

Trees are the most popular fall installations. Folks seek crape myrtles, Chinese pistache, Japanese maples, smoke trees and fruitless olive trees – all of which thrive in our environment.

Foundation shrubs are the bushes that define our landscapes. They support our homes, walkways and fence lines. Nandina, abelia and euonymus are sturdy, basic choices for local landscapes. Leucadendron, Acacia Cousin Itt and Grevillea are interesting selections that will flourish in our gardens.

Summer is so rough on lawns. Even with the best care, summer browning can be an issue. Now is the time to get your lawn back in shape before winter. Get the turf aeriated and dethatched to make the soil penetrable again. Spread a layer of high nitrogen soil conditioner throughout the grass to add nutrients naturally. Follow up with a dose of lawn food, and you’ll be on your way to a greener, happier lawn.

Flowering beds and borders gave it their all this spring and summer, so it is time to give back. Rake away the layer of mulch or bark and spread a couple inches of a premium compost beneath the drip line of perennials. Work the new compost into the soil using a cultivator. Prune away spent flowers and pinch back browning leaves.

While the bark is pulled back, it would be a good time to install some fall- and winter-blooming perennials. Osteospermum has daisy-shaped flowers and a mounding, sprawling growth habit in any color combination imaginable. If you’re looking for dramatic leaves to set off flowers in beds, consider any of the amazing heuchera. Look at azaleas if you’re craving body and foundation in a border. Azaleas are evergreen. They’ll bloom late winter through spring, and their large flowers can be seen from a distance.

This summer’s veggie beds were also a huge success. Tomatoes, cucumbers, Japanese eggplants and butternut squash gave us high yields. But as the ripening slows, it becomes time to remove plants, replenish the soil and install cool-season vegetables.

If you like leafy greens, plant lettuce, spinach, chard and kale now. Onions, garlic and beets can also be installed, along with broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. Cool-season vegetables are generally successful, and many of the available installations are pretty to look at, too.

Container plantings almost always need a fall sprucing. Remove petunias and vincas, replacing them with violas, pansies and ornamental cabbage. Remember to freshen the potting soil when tending to containers. Use a potting soil geared to high-production plants.

Nicole is the Garden Girl at R&M Pool, Patio, Gifts and Garden. You can contact her with ­questions or comments by email at gardengirl94517@yahoo.com