Master Gardener Marianne Lepa talks climate, fall colours and harvesting veggies after a frost in her inaugural column

As I’m writing this, a gentle rain is falling outside – the first real rain we’ve had for weeks.

All plants need a steady supply of moisture to stay alive. Some plants have evolved to use very little water, while some evolved to survive while submerged in water.

Nutrients dissolved in water are taken up by roots and used in photosynthesis to create food that feeds the plant and the soil it grows in. 

Sadly, climate change means that we will experience greater dramatic shifts in weather patterns more often. We can expect wild swings in temperature and rainfall to grow worse in coming years.

While there are no foolproof ways to protect your garden from extreme weather, you can make your garden more resilient by fixing drainage problems and bulking up the organic matter in your soil.

Standing water is death to most garden plants, except that group of bog plants that actually prefer to be in wet conditions year-round. If you experience significant flooding after a heavy rainstorm, consult a landscaping professional for specific advice for your property.

Good soil will hold moisture and still have tiny pockets of air for roots to grow into.

The key to good soil is lots of organic matter. Compost, rotted manure or leaf mould, worked into the soil provides structure and nutrients. Mulches such as wood chips, leaves, straw or dried grass clippings will protect that soil structure and prevent evaporation of that precious moisture.

Consider adding more drought-resistant plants to your garden. Drought-resistant plants require less water and can survive periods of no water, but will also thrive under normal rainfall conditions. Toronto Master Gardeners have created an extensive list of drought-resistant plants for different garden conditions. 

Drought Tolerant Perennials: A Toronto Master Gardeners Guide

Think Spring this Fall

September is the time to be thinking of spring colour. Crocus, daffodils, tulips, alliums and hyacinths will start growing as soon as the ground has thawed and, in early spring, provide bright spots of colour before shrubs leaf out and herbaceous perennials push through the soil. 

Local stores will soon be bursting with bags of spring bulbs for planting. But it’s not too late to order spring bulbs from online nurseries. You’ll find a greater variety of species from online sources that will ship your bulbs at the correct time for planting.

Here in Collingwood and most of southern Ontario, late September and October is bulb planting time. Wait until the daytime temperatures are consistently below 15C.

Most bulbs need a few weeks before the ground freezes to develop roots that will see them through the winter, but if they are planted too early, they will sprout and use up the energy they need to bloom in spring.

Follow the package directions for the correct depth to plant. A bulb planter tool might be helpful if you are planting a lot of bulbs. There are long-handled bulb planters to make it easier for aching knees and hips. 

Remember: Plant bulbs pointy side up!

But Don’t Forget Fall Colour

While you are thinking about spring colour, take a moment and check out the colour on display in your garden now. Fall gardens don’t need to be drab.

There are some beautiful plants that bloom in September and October and possibly into November if the weather stays mild. 

Group 3 clematis are fall blooming as well as many sedums and salvias. There is a long list of native plants that bloom well into fall, some even surviving light frosts along the way. Consider adding these plants to your borders for fall colour: asters; goldenrod; bottle genitian; great blue lobelia; liatris; gaillardia; agastache; heleniums and obedient plant. 

Grasses flower and set attractive seed heads in fall. Native grasses such as Little Bluestem; Prairie Dropseed and Purple Lovegrass create texture and movement in the border and their seed heads are natural bird feeders if left standing all winter.

Fall Veggies and Spring Greens

Just because the tomatoes are finished doesn’t mean there isn’t more food to grow.

Go out right now and sow leaf lettuce and spinach seeds. There’s still time for them to sprout and grow enough for fall salads.

Leaf lettuce will persist until a killing frost if protected from light frosts. Spinach plants will take a little frost and, if well mulched, survive the winter and begin to grow again as soon as the ground thaws providing those fresh green veggies that your body will crave after a long winter of imported foods.

Kale can also be sown now and harvested as baby greens in three to four weeks or left to grow on. You can harvest mature kale plants all winter long. Cabbage, Brussels sprouts, mustard greens and collards can take frost and freezing and still be good to eat. 

Root crops such as carrots, beets, parsnips, turnips and rutabagas can be left in the ground and harvested until the soil freezes. In fact, frost and cold temperatures improve the flavour of these nutritious vegetables.

You can delay frozen soil with a thick mulch of straw or leaves. But even at that, carrots and parsnips can be left over winter under a mulch and then harvested as soon as the ground thaws in spring.

Marianne Lepa is a Master Gardener based in Collingwood, Ont. and member of the board for the Collingwood Garden Club.Â