If you plan ahead and follow these suggestions, you will have much success in your garden pottery in the months ahead.

For blooms from winter through spring, plant cool season annuals now so they get established and start flowering before the weather turns cold.  Otherwise, they may not flower until spring.  Buy young plants of calendula, pansies, primrose, and snapdragons now and plant them or sow the seeds.  Select cleaned out garden pottery and make sure the soil is new.  Add fertilizer now to the soil to assure a good start in the the Spring.  Make sure there are no cobwebs or insects attached to the outside of the pottery.  You want to start with as clean a pot as possible.

If you don't have space for multiple fruit trees, try growing a single tree with multiple fruiting brances grafted onto one rootstock.  For best selection, order bare root trees now for January pickup.  Place these planter pots in a shaded area and mulch the top of the soil for added protection thru the cold months ahead.

October is the best month for setting out any kind of plant that's not frost tender.  Ground coveres, shrubs, trees, and vines all benefit from fall planting, when temperatures are cooling and rain is on the way.

Now is the time to clean up debris.  To reduce the number of sites that harbor insects and diseases over winter, pull and discard weeds, spent annuals, and vegetables.  Also clean up all fruit and fallen leaves.  Compost only plant debris that is free of disease, insect pests, and weeds.

Clean the outsides of all pottery to remove any insects or clotted dirt.  Clean off the top soil of dead leaves and flowers and re-till the surface soil to keep it from clumping.  Dead head any flowers that are spent or pinch off yellow or dying leaves. 

Taking a few minutes to clean things up, planning ahead and purchasing a few products now will add assure much success next spring and summer.

Read more.....The Secret to Bulbs