Tag: home grown

Cheers to warm days, crisp nights and frost on the pumpkin! 

Autumn for a gardener is a time to relish in all your hard work and to enjoy the harvest of your crops.  It is a time of bountiful returns and vibrant colors. For a gardener it is also a sad reminder that your growing season is rapidly coming to an end. And that means you need to quickly winterize your perennials beds. You can either cutback perennials in the Spring or Fall. I am a Fall pruner. I like to cut back shrubs and perennials before the Winter so the garden is tidy.  

Tip: Gather seasonal blooms while you trim back shrubs and perennials to feature in indoor and outdoor arrangements.

The arrangements above highlight a Fall favorite…Hydrangea! Hydrangea bloom blue or white in the Summer and transition to pink and burgundy colors in the Fall. I like to pair these with ornamental grass seed heads, seasonal Kale leaves and Sweet Alyssum.

Fill your outdoor planters with fresh Hydrangea and ornamental grass cuttings too! Throw in a pumpkin or ornamental kale and you will have a seasonal planter that will look great for weeks!

PS – Remember that not all Hydrangea should be pruned/ cutback. Traditional Hydrangea shrubs bloom off their old wood. If you cut them back in the Fall, you will be eliminating any blooms for the next Summer. Generally speaking Hydrangea macrophylla should only be selectively cutback, while Hydrangea arborescens and Hydrangea paniculata can withstand heavier pruning.

Happy Gardening!