Here are some tips to prepare your lawn and garden this month:

Properly planting your flower beds the correct distance apart means you do not need to add mulch. Putting mulch in your flower beds can actually cause too much moisture and harm your flowers. If your flowers are planted properly, they will fill in beautifully and the mulch won't be needed.

Fall (late September through late November) – Plant hardy, spring-flowering bulbs: tulips, narcissus (includes all types of daffodils), crocus, eranthis (winter aconites), erythronium, fritillaria, hyacinths snowdrops, scilla, hardy cyclamen, lilies. In California and milder areas of the Southwest, also plant ranunculus, freesias, anemones and paperwhites outdoors. Store tulips, crocus and hyacinths in refrigerator for 6-8 weeks before planting. In all regions, store potted bulbs in refrigerator for forcing indoors.

- Allow plants to finish the summer growth cycle in a normal manner. Never encourage growth with heavy applications of fertilizer or excessive pruning at this time. Plants will delay their dormancy process that has already begun in anticipation of winter in the months ahead. New growth can be injured by an early freeze.

- September is one of the best months of the entire year for seeding or sodding new lawns.

- Over seed old lawns with fresh seed to help fill in the bare spots and crowd out weeds and mosses.

- Pick your accent plants for your landscape autumn colors. Trees that have red fall color are flowering dogwood, red maple, sugar maple, Norway maple, red oak and scarlet oak. Shrubs with red fall foliage include sumac, viburnum, winged euonymus and barberry.

- Fall is a good time for improving your garden soil. Add manure, compost and leaves to increase the organic matter content. Check out  Perm-A-Mulch

- After plants have stopped producing, remove vines, corn stalks, and other plant debris along with stakes, string, black plastic mulch, and other man-made objects.

- Continue to mow your lawn as long as the grass keeps growing. Lower the blade height towards the end of the season. Cutting your grass short is key to preventing fall diseases and winter snow mold next spring.

How to Seed Bare Spots And Thin Areas - Provided by Scotts
Summer heat and drought usually cause thin brown spots in the lawn. Luckily, fall is the best time to seed and it’s EASY! Follow these simple steps and you’ll have a thick, green lawn.

 

 

Park Seed

 

Giant Canna Collection

 
Pink Lily-of-the-Valley