As we approach the mid-to-end end of summer, it's the perfect time to get your garden ready for the beautiful fall and winter ahead, writes master gardener Brian Minter.
As summer approaches, the appearance of our gardens begins to change.
As the early leaves fall and food crop harvesting begins in earnest, it's nice to enjoy the fruits of your hard work, but nothing beats the fresh taste of home-grown produce.
But with summer still long ahead of us, now is the perfect time to continue growing crops in your garden through the fall.
Some crops, such as cruciferous vegetables, may just barely be able to mature from seed, but it's still possible. Early root vegetables such as carrots, beets, turnips and parsnips can all be grown successfully if started from seed now, and there's still plenty of time for leafy vegetables to all mature in late autumn.
Planting winter vegetables is fast approaching. Last winter was harsh and caused great damage to many crops, but on average, a harsh winter occurs once every six years, so hopefully this year will be better. If the winter is relatively mild and with a little extra protection, winter vegetables are definitely worth the effort. Seedlings are usually planted in mid to late August, but winter vegetables can be sown immediately.
Our gardens are also changing colours.
I love the look of the late summer and fall gardens with wonderful late flowering perennials such as rudbeckia, heliopsis, helenium, echinacea, coreopsis, eupatorium, perobuscia and achillea creating a stunning palette of colour. Now is the time to combine them with the many ornamental grasses that bring autumn to life.
Pennisetum, with its attractive flowers that resemble rabbit's tails, is the first grass to take flight, and it's great fun to watch its attractive seed heads dance in the slightest breeze, from the tiniest rabbit-like P. 'Hameln' to the larger, more showy P. 'Red Head'.
When it comes to dramatic flowers, Miscanthus are undoubtedly a star. From the compact M. 'Yaku Jima' to the enormous 'Miscanthus x giganteus', they all produce stunning blooms in late summer. I love the elegant white and green leaves of M. 'Morning Light' and the vibrant red leaves of M. 'Fire Dragon' which contrast so beautifully with the silvery feathers.
A very popular grass, Calamagrostis 'Karl Forster' has a long, slender, architectural shape and there are many similar grasses that will add a unique character to any garden.
Today, there are so many new grass varieties, most of which grow not only with attractive fall seed heads but also with richly colored foliage that adds beauty to the late summer garden.
As we approach the mid-to-end end of summer, it's the perfect time to prepare your garden for the beautiful fall and winter seasons.
