Your Guide to Preparing for Fall Color
Fall may still feel a little way off, but a beautiful fall garden starts before the temperatures begin to cool.
Late summer is a great time to look around your garden, see what needs a refresh, prepare containers and planting areas, and start thinking about the colors and plants you want to enjoy in the months ahead.
And while some cool-season color is beginning to arrive at SummerWinds Nursery, even more choices will become available as the season progresses.
1. Take a Look at What’s Working — and What Isn’t
By late summer, your garden has been through months of sun and heat. Some plants may still be thriving, while others may be looking tired.
Take a walk through your garden and look for:
- Annuals that have reached the end of their season
- Bare spots that could use fresh color
- Containers ready for a seasonal refresh
- Plants that need trimming or cleanup
- Areas where irrigation may need adjustment
You don't have to change everything at once. A few thoughtfully placed additions can give your garden a fresh look as the seasons change.
2. Prepare Your Soil Before You Plant
Healthy plants start with healthy soil.
Before adding new seasonal color to garden beds, remove spent plants and weeds and clean up fallen leaves or other debris. Loosen compacted soil and add the appropriate soil amendment or planting mix as needed.
For containers, this is also a good opportunity to evaluate your potting soil. Old container soil can become compacted over time, making it more difficult to maintain the right balance of moisture and air around plant roots.
Give Your Containers a High-Performance Start
If you're refreshing your containers for the new season, try our SummerWinds High Performance Organic Potting Soil.
Exclusive to SummerWinds Nursery, this professional-grade organic mix was developed to create an ideal balance of structure, airflow, moisture retention, nutrition and beneficial soil life.
It is designed to help provide:
- Strong root development
- Excellent moisture retention without soggy soil
- Better resilience through heat and changing conditions
- Reduced transplant shock
- Built-in organic nutrition
- Beneficial microbes and mycorrhizae to support healthy growth
It's an excellent choice for seasonal annuals and perennials as well as containers, raised beds, vegetables, herbs, houseplants and more.
Great color starts from the ground up.
3. Check Your Irrigation
Your garden's watering needs don't change overnight just because fall is approaching.
Late summer can still bring plenty of heat, so check drip emitters and sprinklers for leaks, clogs and proper coverage before planting something new.
When you do plant, remember that newly planted flowers need consistent moisture while their roots become established. Water slowly and deeply, and adjust your watering as temperatures begin to cool.
4. Plan Your Fall Color Palette
Here's the fun part.
Before shopping, think about the look you want to create. Do you love rich, traditional fall colors? Prefer softer pastels? Want a bright combination that makes your front entry stand out?
Consider more than flower color, too. Mixing foliage colors, textures, plant heights and growth habits can make a container or garden bed much more interesting.
For containers, try the classic thriller, filler and spiller approach:
- Thriller: Add height and a focal point.
- Filler: Surround it with plants that add fullness, color and texture.
- Spiller: Finish with plants that trail over the edge of the container.
Not sure what works together? Bring a photo or measurements of your space to SummerWinds Nursery and ask one of our Trusted Garden Advisors for ideas.
Don't Rush the Season
We know it's tempting to see the first signs of fall and immediately start planting everything. But timing matters.
Some cool-season color is beginning to arrive, with more varieties and choices becoming available as the season progresses. August is a great time to plan, prepare and start transitioning rather than feeling like you need to complete your entire fall garden at once.
Think of this as Phase 1: clean up tired summer plants, prepare your soil and containers, check irrigation, and start deciding what you want your garden to look and feel like through fall and into the year ahead.
5. Refresh a Little at a Time
You don't need a complete garden makeover to welcome the new season. Start with a few high-impact areas:
- Refresh containers near your front door
- Add color to a garden bed you see every day
- Replace a few tired summer annuals
- Create a colorful patio container
- Prepare empty spaces now for plants arriving later
As temperatures change and more seasonal plants arrive, you can continue adding to your garden.
6. Phase 2: Fall Is for Planting
Beginning in September, it's time to think beyond a seasonal refresh and toward the bigger picture.
Fall is one of the best times of year to plant in the Bay Area. As temperatures begin to moderate, plants experience less heat stress, while the soil is still warm enough to encourage root development. Planting in fall also gives many trees, shrubs and perennials time to establish their roots during the cooler months before they face the heat of next summer.
This is your opportunity to ask a bigger question: What do you want your garden to become?
Maybe you'd like more year-round color. Perhaps you want to attract pollinators, create a more water-wise landscape, add privacy, grow more of your own food, or finally transform an area that hasn't been working for you.
Your fall garden doesn't have to be just about the next few months. The choices you make this season can help shape your garden for the year ahead.
Start planning now, then come back as fall planting season gets underway. Our Trusted Garden Advisors can help you choose plants that work together—and work for your garden.
Get Ready for What's Next
One of the best parts of gardening is that there's always another season to look forward to.
A little preparation now can make planting easier and give your new plants a stronger start when the time is right.
Visit your neighborhood SummerWinds Nursery to see what's arriving, discover fresh seasonal inspiration, pick up our new High Performance Organic Potting Soil, and talk with our Trusted Garden Advisors about what's right for your garden now.
