There is still time to add a little color to your backyard for fall. And many of these decorations will last into the winter months with a little care and planning. Now in my zone 5 growing zone I have to bring plants into the entry and just leave dried arranged arrangements outdoors.

photo credit: Ian Muttoo

With Thanksgiving approaching the addition of dried corn stalks, Indian corn, and pumpkins with give your yard, patio or porch area a festive look. The corn stalks can be left outdoors. The Indian corn can also be left outdoors and can later be sprayed with a clear varnish to preserve then for another year. Note: Make sure the Indian corn is stored in an area that mice will not bother it.

Pumpkins need to be covered if there is a frost at night and brought in if there is a freeze. If you clean them well with a bleach and water mix when you first purchase them to kill any germs that may have entered a cut, the pumpkins will last until after the new year.

photo credit: alecim

Gourds, mini pumpkins and fall flowers also make a nice garden art arrangement in a yard. Place them on a hay bale or in a wagon for a farm like feel. And with the fall flowers you can bring them indoors and enjoy the flowers. Mums are particularly easy to move indoors and by pinching them back you will have flowers through the holidays.

I also like to clip the mums and start new plants. Mums will produce roots easily in a rich potting soil. I use a liquid rooting hormone and cover the pot with clear plastic wrap and have a new plant in a month. I them place it in my greenhouse until spring. It has protection form the freezing weather but will go dormant until spring and better weather returns.

Fall is a wonderful time for fall arrangements and bright splashed or yellows, reds, and orange colors. They seem to stand out more vibrantly in the cloudy fall skies we have in NW PA.

photo credit: Chrissy Olson

Check out Backyard Oasis for a few more fall decorating ideas for you backyard and patio areas.

Technorati Tags: backyard decorating, Creative Organic Gardening, fall flowers, garden art, indian corn, mums, pumpkins

Fall is the time to prepare your gardens for next year. By preparing you garden areas this year you can improve the soil and also take advantage of many of mother natures free mulching materials.
photo credit: ph4mp573r

My favorite mulch in the fall are leaves, and they are plentiful, even in a city. I have many trees but still call the local town and have several piles of leaves dropped off so that I can let them set and turn into leaf mold (A name for decomposed leaves).

How to create mulch from leaves

The first step to take is to pile the leaves in one place using a rake, a wheel barrel or cloth. The leaves in the pile should be dry.

TIP: I use an old sheet to rake the leaves on. They will easy pull to the pile I have created. I also pile the leaves in a U shape I have created with straw bales.

Leaves will break down faster if they have been shredded, so I always make sure I include this step. I usually do this by mowing them in the yard then raking and moving the leaves to the pile.  Often the leaves I have delivered are already shredded.
photo credit: bertdennisonphotography

The next step is to add the shredded leaves to a compost bin. Layering the leaves will help them to compost faster. I use fresh leaf clipping and straw. New or old sawdust and manure will also work well. Again, I try to find free mulching materials.

Tip: Call your local township or park for free leaves. Sawdust can often be obtained from tree companies or construction companies.

I place the leaves in layers of 12-18 inches and add 6 to 8 inches of other composting material in between the layers of leaves. This will help the leaves to break down quicker.

Allow the leaf pile to sit over the winter months. The leaves should be ready for use in the spring. If you need the leaves to break down faster place them in black plastic bags. The bags will heat the leaves and help them to decompose quicker.

Many people use leaves that have sat for several years in their gardens. When they sit for several year they become leaf mold and are very rich in nutrients. This is one of my favorite mulches to use in the gardens and around trees.

Technorati Tags: composting, composting leaves, Creative Organic Gardening, free composting materials, frugal gardening

This year I am suffering from way too much rain but I remember years when we had drought. Over the last few years I have set up many of my garden areas and landscaping to conserve on watering.
photo credit: dlisbona

When the garden season begins you never know what Mother Nature has planned so my motto is “be prepared!”

Setting your garden up for drought conditions can be done by using mulch or planting in containers so that they can be moved into shade or closer to water. You can also landscape your yard and gardens for drought by using perennials, using plants and trees that require less water, or by planting re-seeding annuals, herbs and native plants.

I also water in the morning, use deep watering methods and rain barrels for catching rain. You will find a few more ideas at my sister site Backyard Oasis,  How to choose drought resistant plants.

One idea I have used for many years is watering by milk jug (or a small plastic pop bottle for containers)

Fill the cleaned empty milk or plastic pop bottle with hot water. This will clean the bottle and also help remove the label.
I let my bottles and jugs sit overnight to make sure they are clean.

Use a sharp nail to make a hole or two in the milk jug. You can also use a cordless drill with a tiny bit to make the holes. Just remember the larger the holes are on the bottom the faster your water will run out.

Hint: if you use jugs with holes and without, mark the jug. It’s not fun to fill a jug and have the water run out and into your shoes while placing it in the yard.

Place the jug by the plant that needs water. Using this method you get a slow watering what will soak in the ground near the plant where it’s needed,

Pop bottles

I tent to use small pop bottles in containers. Cut off the bottom of the pop bottle. Remove the cap and place the bottle in the center of a container. I submerge the bottle halfway into the soil. This will act as a funnel and take water directly to the roots. This works well for vegetable plants that require a lot of water. And as the plant grows the bottle is hidden from site.

Tips:

If you have a fish tank or pond you can use that water to water your plants and then top off what water is removed. You will help clean the tank or pond and have nutrient rich water for your plants.

When not using the milk jugs you can run a string through the handles and store them by hanging them on a wall out of the way

Here are two sites for ideas on hardy plants. I enjoy Hibiscus plants and Best Flower gardening has an excellent article, Hibiscus-a-must-have-perennial.

Home and Garden Online has a nice write-up on native plants, Native Plants: flower-garden-guide. Native plants add so much to your garden landscape.

Whether you have too much rain or too little with planning and preparation you can still have a beautiful yard and successful garden. It just may be a bit more challenging!

Technorati Tags: backyard garden, Creative Organic Gardening, garden planning, native plants