Dear ##firstname[Friend]##,

Crystal Rennicke

As we head into the cooler months, it’s time to start thinking about winter gardening. Mid-fall is the perfect time to plant your own garlic. It’s also a great time to start thinking of your garden for next year. Plan a trip to your local garden center with a bulb wish list, and start planting indoors during late winter. It’s a great way to brighten up those sometimes gloomy, chilly winter days!

Happy Gardening!
–Crystal

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• Regional Report
• Plant of the Month
• Yard Smarts
• Question of the Month
• Frugal Backyard Tip
• Submit Your Story

Regional Report

Temperatures are dropping, and a change of seasons is officially upon us. Our bloggers are ready to give you specific backyard advice on our Birds & Blooms blog.

• Southwest
• Midwest
• Northeast
• Northwest
• South Central
• Southeast

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provenwinners.com

Plant of the Month

Dolce® Blackcurrant coralbells
Black-purple leaves with silver accents from this coralbells cultivar add a striking accent to flower beds and containers. They bloom in early spring and shine through fall with beautiful foliage color.

Botanical name: Heuchera ‘Dolce® Blackcurrent’
Hardiness: Zones 4 to 9. 
Size: 18-20 inches wide; 8-16 inches high.    
Flowers: Little white flowers emerge in early spring. The foliage is the star of this plant with purple-black leaves with silver accents.
Light needs: Sun or shade. 
Growing Advice: Remove the flower stems once the plant has finished blooming. Plants can be divided in spring or fall.  
Prize picks: Proven Winners also has these available in the Dolce® series: Crème Brulee, Key Lime Pie, Licorice, Mocha Mint® and Peach Melba.     

Take a look at these other plants that provide great foliage in the garden.

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RDA-GID

Yard Smarts

Perennial Parties
For a few years now, gardeners in my area have been holding perennial parties. Each spring and fall, different gardeners take turns hosting the gathering in their backyards.

It’s a great time to exchange tips, advice and plants. Roughly 150 gardeners are involved. We organize the plants by light needs and by type, such as herbs, daylilies and hostas. We have thousands of plants!

A few of the ladies involved are master gardeners. They answer questions before the trading begins. Then we take turns picking plants until they’re all gone.

I’ve filled entire flower beds with these free plants. I look forward to the event every autumn. –Connie Baumann, Lino Lakes, Minnesota

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Question of the Month

Aggressive Plants
I have garden phlox and gooseneck loosestrife growing in my perennial garden, and they’re starting to take over the beds. I keep digging them up to no avail. What should I do to keep them under control?
–Madeleine Hadrian, Amherstburg, Ontario

Melinda: The best thing you can do is to regularly deadhead these plants to prevent reseeding and new seedlings from growing in the garden. This usually is enough to keep garden phlox contained.

The loosestrife, which also spreads by rhizomes, will probably need a bit more control. Divide these plants yearly to keep them in bounds. Or grow them in a location where they have plenty of room to grow or are contained by sidewalks, walls or other barriers.

In the meantime, invite a few gardening friends to share in the bounty. Be sure to let them know the secrets to controlling these vigorous garden beauties.

For answers to your gardening questions, click here.

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Frugal Backyard Tip

Pots of Plenty
Once you start cleaning up your garden in fall, you might be surprised at all the clay pots you’ve acquired. Don’t toss them! Clean them up, give them a paint job and they just might make the perfect Christmas gift. (Chalkboard paint is a fun and easy way to give them a new life.)

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Submit Your Story

Do you have a great fall container combination you’d like to share with our readers? Send us your photos and planting plans using our Submit Your Story form.

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