Fall Gardening Ideas and Garden Shed Storage Tips

Hobby gardeners, are you ready for fall vegetable gardening and fall flower gardening? 

Fall is here. Are you ready? For those who love gardening, whether a hobby gardener or just a beginner, here are a few things to think about as we journey into the fall season.

Winter Prep and Fall Vegetable Gardening 

Before doing any more planting, stop for a moment to prep your garden for the upcoming cold weather. Here are a few things you can do.

• Leave carrots, horseradish, leeks, parsnips, radishes, and turnips in the garden through early winter. Mark the rows with tall stakes so that you can find them in the snow, and cover them with a heavy layer of mulch.
  
  
• Pull up tomato, squash, pea, and bean plants. If they’re disease-free, compost them. If any are diseased, either burn them or discard them separately. Pull up and put away the stakes.
  
  
• In the soil that you will not be using over the winter, remove all weeds and debris. Gently till the soil to expose any insects who plan to overwinter (this will reduce pest troubles in the spring and summer). Once most of the garden soil is exposed, add a layer of compost and leaves then gently till into the soil.

For more fall vegetable gardening tips, including herb planting and care, harvest storage, winterizing berry patches, and garden pre-winter chores, visit almanac.com.

Up until the end of October there is a good range that can be sown to supplement what's already in the ground. Here are a few of the fall vegetables ready to be planted now.  

• Garlic
  
  Garlic can be planted in the spring as soon as the ground can be worked, but fall planting is recommended for most gardeners. Plant in the fall and you’ll find that your bulbs are bigger and more flavorful when you harvest the next summer. 
  
  Recommended varieties: Persian Star, Mother of Pearl, and Carpathian
  
  
• Lettuce
  
  Garden lettuce is best planted in the spring and fall. Lettuce grows well in the spring and fall in most regions. Although lettuce seedlings can tolerate frost, temperatures between 45° F and 65° F are ideal. Because lettuce grows quickly, the best approach is to plant a small amount at a time, staggering your plantings.
  
  Recommended varieties: King Crown, Mission, Wallop, and Paris White Cos
  
  
• Beets
  
  Beets are extremely easy to grow, and respond very favorably to the cooling conditions of late summer into fall. Variations of daytime and nighttime temperatures provide the perfect conditions for growth. 
  
  Recommended varieties: Detroit Dark Red and Formanova

IDEA: If you're looking for a vegetable that's "in season" all-year-round, consider hydroponic lettuce. Here are helpful tips for growing high-quality hydroponic lettuce at home. 

Fall Flower Garden Ideas

• Toad Lily 
  
  This flower actually grows great in the shade, so not only is it good for the fall but also in parts of your yard that may be dead or dying. The spotted petals are beautiful and really add texture to your yard.
  
  
• Asters
  
  Asters come in all sorts of colors, so you don’t have to worry about your garden looking boring and monotone. Butterflies also love this flower, so you’ll even have the pretty little visitors late into the season!
  
  
• Perennial Sunflower
  
  This is a great flower to add splashes of yellow and gold to your yard. Not only does it look great when the leaves start changing colors, but the bright colors will keep your yard perky and happy even when the weather isn’t!
  
  
• Goldenrod
  
  This is the classic fall flower that brings in the traditional colors of the changing season. It’s also a tough flower, so it will stay alive without much maintenance on your part.

To learn more about these fall flowers and for more fall flower ideas, visit blessmyweeds.com.

You can find more fall garden ideas on Pinterest, but we invite you to start with our Gardening board.

Do you have a garden shed?

If you don't already have one, here are 4 reasons why sheds are a gardening staple.

1. They're perfect for storing lawn and garden equipment—and everything else a good gardener needs from hand tools to wheelbarrows to hoses.
   
   
2. They offer valuable and convenient workspace. Every gardener needs space to work. From shelving to tables to workbenches, everything can be stored safety and out of the way. Besides, dragging things in and out of the house can deter even the most enthusiastic gardener.
   
   
3. They offer shelter from the blazing sun and rain showers. Gardeners can keep their mess outside of the house and keep working through both hot and rainy days.
   
   
4. Depending on the size of the shed and the amount of natural light it gets, it can also provide an ideal environment for growing starter plants.

If you choose to purchase a shed, consider these 6 things.

1. Make sure the interior can get plenty of natural light. Depending on gardening needs, wall-to-wall windows, skylights, dormers, or just a few additional windows might be required.
   
   
2. Make sure the floor material will not warp or mold when it gets wet. A good material for flooring is LP ProStruct® flooring with SmartFinish.
   
   
3. Determine which siding style is best for you. Vinyl and Lap siding options are ideal—they're durable and easy to clean. Also, think about which siding and trim colors will look nice in the backyard, blend in with the surrounding landscape, and compliment the color of your home.
   
   
4. Thinking about adding practical upgrades like a trusty ramp (great for tractors and wheelbarrows), an internal organizer kit like the VersaCaddy, and built-in shelving.
   
   
5. Remember to check with your township about zoning and building permits. It's better to know this information before making a significant purchase.
   
   
6. Before getting started, understand the importance of laying a solid shed foundation.

Here are three of our buildings that are perfect garden sheds.

• The first is a garden shed with vinyl siding, windows, double fiberglass doors with transom windows for additional natural light, and window shutters. It's beautiful and practical.

• This one is a garden shed with lap siding, classic wide trim, a steep roof, double doors with transom windows, and LP ProStruct Flooring, 

• And last, this garden shed has painted siding, contrasting trim, a window and double doors.

You could add multiple windows to any of these buildings, a dormer, and built-in shelving. Be careful, though, you might create an ideal backyard garden shed that all your neighbors wish they had! 

Want to create your own garden shed? Use our online configuration tool to choose every part of your shed from roof to flooring!