Sweet Peas
Jon Culver
Since 2002, Sweet Peas has featured not only plants but also a variety of pottery, garden accessories, fertilizer options and gardening tools, aiming to be the customer’s total resource garden center.
With the arrival of fall, Jon Culver of Sweet Peas highlights what to look for in the shop and offers tips for planting in the fall.
What to look for
Heirloom pumpkins and gourds of all shapes, sizes and colors are available. Use these to decorate the front porch for fall or use as a centerpiece for thanksgiving dinner. Of course we will have carving pumpkins for Halloween as well.
Look for color for your planters and garden. The cooler weather means it’s time to pull out those tired leggy summer annuals and replace them with fresh chrysanthemums, pansies, violas, marigolds, snapdragons and more. These love the cool weather and many bloom all winter.
Cool season herbs and vegetables include everything from lettuce, cabbage, collards, broccoli and cauliflower to rosemary, parsley, cilantro, thyme, kale, chard and more. Many of these can be used as edibles or simply for planter accents mixed with pansies. Winter vegetables are easier to grow than summer veggies.
The gift shop is busting with new finds from market and collections from local artisans. Spend some time looking for that perfect pot or door basket or Halloween decoration to complete your fall decorating.
Fall planting tips
The month of October is the perfect time for fall planting.
Pansies and violas will provide the most color all fall and winter.
Plants such as snapdragons, ornamental cabbage or kale, and mums are great companion plants with your pansies.
Try planting bulbs such as tulips, daffodils and hyacinths under your pansies for early spring color.
For edible gardening, plant lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels and collards.
Herbs such as rosemary, lavender, parsley, oregano, chives, cilantro, sage and thyme love the cool temperatures of fall, and many go through the winter.
Plant with a time-released fertilizer, such as Osmocote, and supplement that with a liquid fertilizer in the winter.
Fall is also the best time to plant trees and shrubs. Dig holes twice as wide but no deeper than the rootball. Always amend the soil with a good compost or soil amendment. Black Kow topsoil is my favorite.
For more information, visit sweetpeasgardenshop.com.
