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Debbie Roland, Master Gardener
Fall can be a thrifty gardeners favorite time of the year. Local plant retailers are anxious to get rid of what stock they have left in an effort to showcase fall plants and clear out for winter.
I wouldn’t recommend buying annuals (a plant that only lives one growing season) this time of year but there can be some good deals on perennials. In fact, fall is a good time to plant them and they will look even better next year because they will already be established in your yard. We have good local and family owned garden centers. Sometimes they are more expensive than big box stores but they do a great job of keeping the plants watered and caring for them. What this means for the gardener is that the marked down plants are in better shape at the end of summer and a great bargain.
Also check out the remaining stock of seed packets you might want to plant next spring. Many times those prices are slashed as well. Then wander over to the garden equipment and hardscape items that may be left. Last year I got a great buy on soaker hoses. Regular price was $20.00. I bought ten at $2.00 a piece. Bird baths and yard decorations can be bought for a fraction of their original cost.
This is also the time to put your friends and neighbors on alert that you will be glad to take those trash bags full of leaves off their hands. It won’t be long until the leaves begin falling. They are perfect for your flowerbeds, raised beds, gardens and compost piles. I have several friends that let me pick up their bags of leaves (and grass cuttings) which I then spread out and water into all my beds. As soon as I water them they begin decaying. I haven’t had a problem with them blowing away. It is also good to keep yard waste out of the landfill.
If you have questions, please call the AgriLife office in Odessa at 498-4071 or in Midland at 686-4700 for more gardening information.
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