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Beautification Awards recognize excellence in gardening, design

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Members of the Farmington Beautification Commission did what they do every year — picked the winners of its annual awards that recognize excellent landscaping and design.

The theme, chosen by Larry Kilner, commission chair, for the annual awards program was driven by an Abraham Lincoln quote: “I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives and I like to see a man live so that his place is proud of him.”

This year’s awards ceremony was held at the Gov. Warner Mansion on Sept. 19. Each year the Farmington Beautification Committee hands out the coveted bronze award plaque to one household for each voter precinct.

First and second place awards are given out also. The awards are judged on street curb appeal only. Backyards cannot be considered as that is the role of the Farmington Garden Club. They also give an award for one business and the Greater Farmington Chamber of Commerce, represented by Mary Engleman, gave an award to one business which meets its qualifications.

Mayor Tom Buck opened the ceremony and noted that CNN Money Magazine recently placed Farmington as number 27 on their “best city to live in” roster. He added that residents who were in attendance to receive beautification awards played a role in Farmington achieving that honor.

This year’s recipients were surprised and grateful to receive the awards. After receiving their award, each gardener was asked to give a brief description of what inspired them to attain such an honor. Some of the winners’ comments were truly poignant, Kilner said.

One recipient gave an emotional response that her landscape design was in memory of her grandmother. Another contestant, who used bowling balls in her landscape, said that her first bowling ball was her father’s and then her friends donated the rest of them after they tired of the game.

In another instance it was a family member who motivated them to take an interest in landscaping. Kilner commented that when he received the award, it was his personal goal to win the award, and it took it 10 years to achieve it.

New Program Shows How Trees Help Keep Texas Homes Cool

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COLLEGE STATION (CBSDFW.COM/AP) – A new online tool developed at Texas AM could help Texas homeowners save money and energy based on where they plant trees.

Texas AM Forest Service officials announced the Energy Saving Trees program. The free program has a web-based mapping tool that lets homeowners compare energy savings based on amount of shade from different trees.

The online Texas Tree Planting Guide gives ideas on what types of trees would be best suited for your property based on many factors including the mature-growth height of the tree, foliage, soil type and what trees work best in the Texas climate.

The website gives suggestions on planning before you plant; landscaping, planting for energy efficiency (shade) and growth space. The guide also reminds homeowners of things to look out for; overhead power lines, tree ‘problems’ and basic information on how to select and care for your trees.

Coordinator Gretchen Riley says trees are a simple and simple and effective way to reduce heat in and around homes.

Oncor and CenterPoint Energy have joined the Arbor Day Foundation in support of the Energy Saving Trees program. Partner companies will offer up to three trees per homeowner in the program for planting in certain areas to provide optimal energy savings.

Online: http://energysavingtrees.arborday.org

(©2013 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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Work on Wilmington accepting proposals for worthy projects

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PortCityDaily.com is your source for free news and information in the Wilmington area.

Organizers of Work on Wilmington, a one-day annual event that dispatches volunteers to community improvement projects citywide, expect more than 2,000 residents to pitch in at next year’s engagement now in the works.

For the moment, though, they’re calling on the city’s people, businesses and nonprofits to propose worthy ideas.

The Cape Fear Literacy Council building gets a new coat in this past Work on Wilmington project. Photo courtesy Work on Wilmington.

The Cape Fear Literacy Council’s office gets a new coat in this past Work on Wilmington project. Photo courtesy Work on Wilmington.

“Work On Wilmington seeks projects that will meet specific needs and provide tangible benefits,” the group’s website says. “Projects must be able to be completed in four hours and show visible impact. They also must be unlikely to happen without the help of Work On Wilmington volunteers.”

Ideas may include painting, landscaping, installing playground equipment, litter sweeps and small construction projects.

Work on Wilmington 2014 is scheduled for May 3; proposals are being accepted–online only–through Nov. 15  this year. Click here to submit.

Past years’ projects have included maintenance, landscaping and paint work at New Hanover County schools; relieving area parks of litter; and community fence painting.

Organizers say potentially dangerous work, such as with the use of scaffolding or advanced power tools, are not appropriate for Work on Wilmington.

The annual event, which started in 2006, is put together by Leadership Wilmington, a civic program of the Greater Wilmington Chamber Foundation.

Click here for more information about the event.

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Dreams for Novato’s north Redwood corridor to be sketched out

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Click photo to enlarge

Walking or biking from SMART to stores, plazas and gathering places are among the concepts envisioned for Novato’s north Redwood corridor — and on Saturday, the community is invited to further refine the ideas.

The workshop, set for 9 a.m. to noon at the Margaret Todd Senior Center, will feature sketches based on scenarios dreamed up by 116 members of the public earlier this month.

“We’re asking people to evaluate these very preliminary sketches,” said Bob Brown, Novato’s community development director.

“What the architects are sketching up is a mix and match from the feedback we received from the public,” Brown said. “From that, we’ll see if the public will gravitate toward one or two of those solutions we can then take forward.”

The Redwood corridor stretches from Olive Avenue on the south to San Marin Drive to the north and Redwood Boulevard on the west to Highway 101 to the east.

The City Council is trying to create a sweeping plan for the area that would dovetail with the community’s wishes. Once an agreement is reached, it would be at least a year before the council would consider any specific suggestions. City leaders would then have to revise the general plan to accommodate such development.

The sketches were created by 14 architects, most of whom live in Marin and all of whom volunteered, Brown said.

“The feedback we got from the public was very, very strong in terms of wanting this to be a pedestrian development with gathering places and plazas and landscaping, with connections to the SMART bike and pedestrian path, which is adjacent to the corridor,” Brown said.

The participants “talked about all types of retail, maybe a lifestyle retail center that is like the Corte Madera Town Center but maybe half that size — because the Redwood corridor is half that size,” Brown said. “The other option was mixed use, so maybe retail on the ground floor and housing above.”

These ideas will get a thorough workout at the Saturday meeting, Brown said.

“We are going to have three different rendered scenarios from the architects. We will have three stations (exhibiting the renderings). The public will split up in thirds and rotate to these stations and have a discussion about what they like and don’t like and then we will re-form as a big group,” Brown said.

Officials involved in the first meeting said the process went smoothly.

“I think the first meeting was a good, focused effort to get public input,” Councilwoman Jeanne MacLeamy said. “People have had a lot of time to think about this over the last couple years and their ideas and concepts were much more well-thought out and more specific than they had been in the past.”

City Manager Frank said, “I was thrilled with the turnout for the (previous) workshop and the number of people who invested their time to participate in the process. It shows that when you engage the community early, you will end up with a great product in the end.”

Councilman Eric Lucan said he hoped more families with children would show up for the second meeting.

“It would be even greater to see more diversity in those who come out, because this is going to be a very big decision that’s going to affect our community for many years ahead,” Lucan said.

Contact Janis Mara via email at jmara@marinij.com. Follow her at Twitter.com/jmara.

if you go

A workshop on Novato’s north Redwood corridor is 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Margaret Todd Senior Center, 1560 Hill Road, Novato. Food will be served and reservations are requested. To reserve a spot, call Terri Brown, 899-8926, or email tkbrown@novato.org.

Conway farm a green classroom

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CONWAY — Across 5.3 acres of this small hilltown, blue, purple and yellow perennials blossom, blueberries grow plump and a flock of laying hens roost.

On South Shirkshire Road in Conway, Lilian Jackman cultivates a perennial, herb and cut flower nursery, called Wilder Hill Gardens that utilizes sustainable methods and traditional farming techniques.

The buzzing garden also often becomes a classroom.

Over the past 25 years Jackman has owned the garden, about 100 students have learned to cultivate soil and propagate plants over the years.

Each gardening season Wilder Hill Gardens has two apprenticeship programs, one tailored to the serious home gardener or aspiring professional landscaper/grower, the second focuses on cut flower production and arrangement.

Jackman doesn’t offer housing and most students come from cities and towns close by. In addition to the practical learning, Jackman provides study material for students.

“Students get learning from both directions. They study and apply the hands-on experience,” Jackman said.

During the first apprenticeship, students learn to make table arrangements and boutonnieres and how to market. The second apprenticeship teaches students botany and soil science.

“Botany is essential if you want to be a grower,” Jackman said. “You need to know the structure of a plant.”

This summer, Julie Etter of Brattleboro was one student who spent the warm days learning to garden.

The 25-year-old has learned landscaping and the techniques for caring for plants.

“It’s been everything I was looking for without even knowing it,” Etter said. “There’s a lot of benefit to working with someone who has been here and has a lot of skills to share.”

Etter has always been surrounded by gardens. Her family had a vegetable garden, and in college she worked in gardening retail. Someday Etter would like to own a farm.

Jackman brings with her extensive experience in the field.

For 20 years, Jackman has worked in the garden and growing business.

She studied horticulture at the University of Connecticut. After school, Jackman worked on landscaping crews and orchards in her home state of Connecticut, as well as in Michigan and Florida.

Wanting to return to New England, Jackman moved to Conway 25 years ago, where she began Wilder Hill.

In addition to Wilder Hill, Jackman works on residential projects across western Massachusetts, including the Sustainable Energy Demonstration Garden at the Greenfield Energy Park. She also teaches at conferences throughout New England.

“I’m passionate about small scale agriculture,” Jackman said.

Wilder Hill Garden offers nursery, landscaping and wedding services.

On the nursery side, Wilder Hill has a pick-your-own garden operation using the different shrubs, fruits like blueberry, currant and gooseberry bushes, Asian and European pear trees, medicinal and culinary herb plants.

Jackman also provides a variety of landscaping styles from a formal vegetable garden to a terraced rock garden.

For weddings, Wilder Hill provides original floral arrangements using the wide range of flowers, grasses, shrubs, roses and herbs grown organically in Conway.

You can reach Kathleen McKiernan at:
kmckiernan@recorder.com
or 413-772-0261 ext. 268.

Home and Garden calendar – Florida Times

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SATURDAY

Jacksonville Farmers Market, dawn to dusk daily year round, 1810 W. Beaver St. Features local, organic, ethnic and specialty produce, along with other foods and agricultural products. (904) 354-2821 or jaxfarmersmarket.com.

Amelia Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays, Shops of Omni Amelia Island Plantation, Fernandina Beach. No pets. ameliafarmersmarket.com.

Fernandina Beach Market Place, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays, N. Seventh Street, downtown Fernandina Beach. Micah’s Place, Nassau County’s domestic abuse shelter, will be at the market as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. (904) 557-8229 or fernandinabeachmarketplace.com.

QuiltFest 2013 final day, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Prime Osborn Convention Center, 1000 Water St. Includes vendors, a silent auction, Kid’s Corner, demonstrations, a quilt appraiser, Charity Corner and Quilter’s Walk. (904) 742-1372 or quiltfestjax.com.

Nocatee Farmers Market, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Nocatee Farmers Market Field, 245 Nocatee Center Way, Ponte Vedra Beach. Includes area vendors. (904) 924-6858 or nocatee.com.

Farmers Market, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays, Unity Church for Creative Living, 2777 Racetrack Road, St. Johns. (904) 287-1505.

Riverside Arts Market, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, 715 Riverside Ave. Includes arts and crafts, fresh fruits and vegetables and live entertainment. riversideartsmarket.com.

“Bring Nature Home with Native Plants in Your Landscape,” 2-4 p.m., Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, 6400 N. Oceanshore Blvd., off Florida A1A, Palm Coast. Speaker is Renee Stambaugh, owner of Native Plant Consulting/Native Gardens Nursery and local Florida native plant expert, on “Using Native Plants in Home Landscaping.” Proceeds to benefit the park for enhancement of current and new facilities. (386) 446-6783.

Beaches Green Market, 2-5 p.m. Saturdays year round, Jarboe Park, Florida Boulevard and Third Street, Neptune Beach. Includes fresh local products. (904) 710-2022 or beacheslocalfoodnetwork.org.

 

MONDAY

Canning Workshop, 1-4 p.m., Duval County Extension Office, 1010 N. McDuff Ave. The make-and-take workshop features Mango Chutney. $20. Registration/pre-payment required. (904) 255-7450.

 

TUESDAY, OCT. 1

Jacksonville Rose Society, 7 p.m., Garden Club of Jacksonville, 1005 Riverside Ave. Speaker is Jay Hiers, superintendent of Park for the Edisto Memorial Rose Garden in Orangeburg, S.C., with “5,000 Roses: Integrated Pest Management at Edisto Gardens,” and how he manages one of the most well-known and beautiful rose gardens in the Southeast. (904) 708-9674.

 

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 2

King Street Farmers Market, 4-7 p.m. Wednesdays, 1021 King St., between Forbes and Post streets. kingstreetfarmersmarket.com.

 

THURSDAY, OCT. 3

Coastal Quilters of Northeast Florida, 6:30 p.m., Senior Activity Center, 2004 Forest Ave., Neptune Beach. Includes quilters of all ages. (904) 270-1688.

 

FRIDAY, OCT. 4

The Landing Market, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Fridays, The Jacksonville Landing. Features locally-grown produce, baked goods, arts and crafts, plants and pottery. (904) 634-0303.

Open Horticulture Show, Home and Garden Show and Datil Pepper Festival, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 5, with lectures, plant sales, vendors and a 4-H Expo; 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 6, with home improvements, garden tours and garden projects; St. Johns County Extension Office, 3125 Agriculture Center Drive. (904) 209-0430 or datilpepperfestival.com.

■ Enter plants, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, Wind Mitigration Building, 3111 Agriculture Center Drive; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 5, St. Johns County Extension Office, 3125 Agriculture Center Drive.

■ Home and Garden Show, tasting 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Oct. 5. Tasting coupons $1.

■ Professional Cook-off, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Oct. 5; judging and awards, 2 p.m.; Wind Mitigration Building.

■ Datil Pepper Festival, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 5; Datil Cook-off, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Oct. 5; St. Johns County Extension Office.

■ Amateur Sauce Contest, judging 2 p.m. Oct. 5, winners announced 3 p.m.

■ Master Gardener Lecture Series, 11 a.m.-2:20 p.m. Oct. 6; St. Johns County Agriculture Center. (904) 209-0430.

 

Fax to (904) 359-4478 or email events@jacksonville.com. Complete listing at jacksonville.com/calendars. To put your event in the free online calendar, go to events.jacksonville.com.

Lush Landscaping in North Sea for $3.895M

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Click here to view the full photogallery.

This house (designed by Peter Cook) sits in a beautifully landscaped 1.9 acres, right on the bay with your own dock. There are vegetable and herb gardens and a pergola under which you can eat your garden produce. Of course there’s a gorgeous pool with deck and hot tub with a water view. There are three buildings on the property: a main house, a pool/guest house, and an old cottage for reading and relaxing. Both the main and the guest house have been meticulously updated in modern taste, with a chic kitchen in the main and a kitchenette in the guest cottage. There are three bedrooms in the main house, with the entire upper floor given over to a luxurious master suite, with a deep soaking tub for after a day’s gardening or boating.
· Stunning Modern Bayfront With Pool and Dock In Southampton [Corcoran]

Tips for September gardening

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Tips for September:

“I didn’t get to sow grass seed at the beginning of September. Is it too late now?� Nope! Have at it! The sooner the better, but you still have time. Make sure to add a starter fertilizer, and keep the soil evenly moist for those new seeds (not soggy wet).

“Should I apply a crabgrass killer now and seed later?� NO! Frost will take out the annual crabgrass. Slice seed right thru it and get that new grass growing. A thicker lawn, plus the crab grass pre emergent applied next spring are your two best defenses against crabgrass (and most other weeds).

“When can I start digging and dividing my perennials this fall?� Late September thru October is a wonderful time to dig and divide perennials. And for those ‘woody’ plants (trees and shrubs), if transplanting is needed, starting in October thru early November works great. Remember, FALL IS FOR PLANTING, so get out and plant those new trees, shrubs, evergreens, perennials, roses, grasses, etc.

“What are the large shrubs I’m seeing around town, that look like crepe myrtle, that are in flower? I don’t thing they’re crepe myrtle, because they’re not hardy here, are they?� -Well, those are crepe myrtles, and you’re seeing more and more being planted in our landscapes. Many are hardy to zone 6, we’re Zone 6, so they’re doing quite well! And now’s a great time to plant them if you would like one or two in your yard! And yes, Natorp’s has them! (Even if they did die back in the winter, they’ll come right back up from the roots, and flower on the new growth.)

“This year, my junipers have developed berries. I have kids and pets and was wondering if those berries were poisonous?� -Well, let’s just say it’s probably best if the kids and pets don’t eat them. They are bitter and not very palatable, but never the less, shouldn’t be eaten. Now, juniper berries are actually used for many things, and have been for centuries, including aromatherapy, soaps, food flavoring, and of course, the flavoring for Gin. But it’s also used as a diuretic, and eating the berries will cause severe increases in urinating, diarrhea, and intestinal pain. So, show the kids what they are, and tell them to look but don’t eat. On that same token, some Taxus (Japanese yews) will also produce berries that are a bright red and very fleshy. Do not eat these berries. The fleshy fruit on the outside actually is edible, but the seed on the inside is highly poisonous. Birds can eat them and be okay, as they do not crush the seed and it passes through them. But, it’s not the same story for others. Do not eat the berries from Japanese yews!

“I have ornamental sweet potato vines, and want to know, are the potatoes in the ground edible?� -As long as they haven’t been treated with non edible pesticides, have at them! Not much flavor, but highly edible. Handle them carefully – they are very thin skinned.
“Should I be adjusting my mower heights in the fall?� -Nope, keep mowing as you normally would. Do be sure to have those mower blades sharpened as we move into the fall mowing season.

“Should I pinch off the blossoms now appearing on my tomato plants?� -Yes, you can. It’s too late for those to produce tomatoes, so pinching them off sends more nutrients to the existing plant and remaining fruits. Or should I say vegetables? Remember, botanically they’re fruits, but by lawn they’re vegetables.
“This year we had serious issues with boxwood leafminers and boxwood psyllids. When did you say apply the systemic soil drench to help control them?� -Mid October. Use either Bonides Tree and Shrub Insect Control or Optrol. This helps control the 3’rd and 4th instar larvae stages of the leafminers, as well as the psyllids next spring.

“When did you say is the best time to spot treat for broadleaf weeds in our lawn? We’re trying to get rid of Creeping Charlie.� -Mid to late October. At this time, the weeds are still active, yet are beginning to shut down for the winter – and they’re pushing all the foods down into the roots. So when you spot treat in October, you’ll get better action from the weed killer as more of it is taken right down to the roots and wipes out the weed, roots and all. You may have to spot treat a little for Charlie in the spring, but October treatments are the best. Bonide’s Weed Beater Ultra works nicely. Remember – a thicker lawn means less Creeping Charlie and those other pesky weeds, so work to keep that lawn thicker and fuller. Weeds don’t choke out the grass – weeds move in where the grass is thinning out.

“We bought a few container grown trees from your outlet sale and when I pulled one out of the pot, I noticed the roots are thick on the outside of the root ball. Did I understand we need to loosen those up somehow? If so, how?� -Yes, if the roots are thick along the inside of the pot and growing in a circle, it’s important to massage those roots loose so they will grow outward rather than in a circle. And this goes for any container grown plant! Sometimes you can massage them loose, but sometimes you have to use a soil knife or sharp spade and cut them a bit to loosen them up.

“Does deadheading my mums as the flowers become spent help to produce more flowers for the fall?� -Unfortunately it won’t increase flowers for the fall, as the flower buds are all set at the same time. But, it does clear the way for the flower buds to have more sunlight and more room to open up fully – and deadheading mums keeps them looking a little nicer as well. By the way, to be more successful in getting your mums to come back next year, 1.) Get them planted as soon as you can to give them time to get rooted in before winter, and keep them watered as needed 2.) Deadhead the spent flowers so the plant will concentrate on putting energy into the roots rather than those old flowers 3.) Don’t cut them back at the end of the season. Studies in colder temperatures have found that leaving your mum’s dead foliage alone over the winter, and then cutting it back in the early spring, may actually help to improve its winter hardiness. 4.) Do a light winter mulching after the ground freezes. 5.) Make sure they’re watered as needed until the end of the year.

“We’re planting new trees in our yard, and we do have deer in the area. Anything we should to help protect these trees?� -YES! A newly planted tree becomes a scratching post to those bucks rubbing their antlers. Protect your new investments with tree guards, tree wrap, bark shields, plastic sleeves, as well as the additional use of deer repellents such as Liquid Fence, DeerScram, Repels All, or Milorganite. Keep those protectors on the new tree trunks over the entire winter, and remove them late next spring.

“Hey Buggy Joe (Joe Boggs / OSU Extension), what ‘cha seeing this week?� This week we’re seeing an unexplained leaf scorch on Red Oaks, more and more oak galls showing up (very common), moth and butterfly caterpillars seem to be everywhere right now including Tussock moths, Wooly Bears (always seen crossing the road), Hickory Horn devils, Cecropia moths, hornworns, Spicebush Swallowtail, Skiff moth, and many more (let them be, by the way), annual Dog Day Cicadas continue to sing and hang around, bagworms have stopped feeding and are now mating and laying eggs for next year, yellowjackets becoming more of a nuisance, home invaders starting to make their moves for warmer over wintering spots, and damages from grubs in the lawns are starting to show now.

 

 

Indoor Plant Tips For Gardeners

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When you are left with no choice but to grow your favourite plants indoor, you need to follow mandatory gardening tips so that you grow luscious plants. Indoor plants are at times a challenge for a gardener because it lacks a certain amount of natural substance when compared to a normal garden.

But we do live in a concrete world, where buildings seem to accommodate the garden area, therefore, not giving you too much of a choice to make.

One would find a lot of buildings everywhere, and in these buildings you are sure to find a thin line of greenery amidst the sand and bricks. But, this is not enough for those who love the smell of fresh flowers and leaves when they wake up every morning. Gardening is an exercise which is religiously followed by a lot of people today although they do not find the time for other things!

Indoor Plant Tips For Gardeners

If you have an indoor garden, you should make a note of these eco-friendly ideas to care for your green friends. Indoor garden is quite a challenge, so we offer you these gardening tips.

Lighting

All plants need sufficient natural light to grow. But for an indoor garden, fluorescent lights is just about enough. But, keep in mind during a damp and gloomy weather, expose the indoor plant to a spot where there is some amount of sunlight.

Humidity

All plants need some amount of humidity for them to grow well. For an indoor garden, humidity is quite the worry because at times there will be an increase of it which is not good. If you need to raise the humidity, place pebbles in the pot tray and raise your pot by filling in a good amount of water.

Climate change

One of the main problems with an indoor plant is the climate change. However, you can battle this problem by placing the plant in your home according to the temperature of the room. Important – Never place indoor plants close to an air conditioner or a heater.

Attention to their growth

Before you place an indoor plant in your living room, you need to do a small research on the type of plant which will suit your room. More importantly, you need to be aware of how high the plant will grow. Depending on the approximate height, you can place the plant. One one hand, if your plant is stunted and not growing, this is another worry, so pay attention to its growth.

Overdose of love

If you are that type of a gardener who is over-protective of the growing plants, it is surely going to die well in advance than its usual date. Yes, house plants needs that care and love, but too much of it can be of a real issue.

Pest control

Due to the lack of direct sunlight on the house plant, you might be inviting insects and pests to thrive on your plant. At any cost, you should not allow this to happen. Gently apply only a small amount of natural pesticide protection over the plant to protect it.

These are some of the gardening tips you should keep in mind when you have indoor plants. Your house plants need that extra attention since it lacks natural ways to help it grow, for example direct sunlight.

6 Tips for Gardening in the Fall

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Photo: Flickr/Salvadonica, Chianti, Tuscany

Fall vegetables are some of the year’s tastiest. Photo: Flickr/Salvadonica, Chianti, Tuscany

Gardening may seem like more of a spring and summer hobby, but the mild autumn months are a great time to spend outdoors in your yard. Check out our top tips for reducing waste, saving water and having loads of fun in the garden this fall.

1. Keep your veggie garden growing

You’ve likely already harvested the bounty of your summer vegetable garden, but that doesn’t mean the growing season has to end. No matter which area of the country you live in, you can find plenty of fruits and veggies that would be happy to call your garden home.

In most chilly regions — such as the Northeast and Midwest — crops like arugula, collard greens and spinach are ideal for September plantings. In warmer areas like the Southeast and Southwest, you can plant more diverse crops, such as broccoli, cauliflower and kale.

Gardeners in most states should have success with members of the cabbage family, as well as root vegetables like beets, carrots and radishes. Brussels sprouts and fennel also do well in the colder months, and fall is the perfect time to plant garlic and shallots for harvest next summer.

While most of these hardy vegetables can withstand a light frost, check with your local nursery to see which varieties work best in your region. Also, find out the average date of your region’s first killing frost, and plan to plant your crops early enough to let them reach full maturity before that date. Seedlings may be an option if it’s too late to plant from seeds.

Photo: Flickr/kennymatic

Leaves are just what your compost pile needs. Photo: Flickr/kennymatic

2. Add fall leaves to your compost pile

All those fallen leaves make ideal carbon-rich additions to your backyard compost pile and can help you strike the proper balance between green and brown waste.

While you’re at it, set aside time to do some pruning after your bushes, trees and shrubs shed their leaves for the season. You’ll avoid laboring in the yard during the cooler months, and your compost pile will reap the benefits of additional brown waste to counterbalance food scraps you’ll add throughout the winter.

Smaller twigs and trimmings can be tossed on your compost pile as is, but you may want to run larger branches through a wood chipper first to help them decompose faster.

Next page: Container gardens and clearing your fields