If you think fall is just about raking leaves, think again. There are any number of plants that can add color and interest to your landscaping now. 

“This is the time to plant spring bulbs,” said Susan Dannenberg, manager of Laurel Hill Gardens, which is now selling tulip, crocus, giant allium, lily and narcissus bulbs. “It’s also the season to add an ornamental planter to your yard or doorstep.”

According to Dannenberg, many perennials and shrubs can live for several years in a container. Good options include bright red ornamental peppers, winter pansies, ornamental cabbage, St. John’s Wort, celosia, coleus, mum, small shrubs and ivy, she said. 

Choose a container made of fiberglass, lead, iron, heavy plastic, or stone – pretty much anything works, as long as it has a drainage hole in the bottom. But don’t forget to water! Containers can provide excellent drainage, but the plants will be depending on you for water and nutrients. 

If you are creating the container garden yourself, make sure you choose a plant that’s hardy, and use the right kind of potting soil.

The general rule of thumb for container-plant survival through the winter is that the plant should be hardy enough to survive two zones colder than the USDA Hardiness Zone, the standard by which gardeners and growers can determine which plants are most likely to thrive at a location. 

And these days, the wonders of the internet means that you can look up a plant’s preferred zone by zip code – especially important now in a time of changing climate. Both Chestnut Hill and Mt. Airy fall into Zone A.

You can also still plant vegetables, as long as you choose winter varieties, such as cabbage, kale, spinach, radishes, carrots, turnips, peas, Brussels sprouts, beets and cauliflower, as well as some varieties of lettuce. And a hardy herb garden of rosemary, mint, sage, fennel, chives and thyme, can also thrive late into the season. 

It’s best to plant those on the south side of the house, in a spot that gets bright sun for at least five hours a day, and that will help keep the soil at its warmest.

Keep in mind that the winter garden may need to go in a different spot than the summer garden, to account for sun movements. Be prepared to cover crops with a fabric sheeting or row cover when temperatures threaten to freeze. 

Vegetable gardening in action

If you want to be inspired and see what kind of vegetables thrive in our area, visit Wyck House, the 2.5-acre historic garden and community farm in Germantown that has been cultivated for over 250 years. Besides their famous Rose Garden, one of Wyck’s unique offerings to the community is their Home Farm Club, a large, cohesive, collaboratively-run kitchen garden, now in its third year of operation. 

The Home Farm is managed entirely with chemical-free methods, hand-powered tools and techniques to demonstrate how food can be grown in a small, urban space.  

You can also join Wyck’s horticulturist, friends, and neighbors on Tuesdays and Fridays for a hands-on experience, and a share of fresh produce and herbs when you volunteer. Children accompanied by a parent or guardian are welcome and invited to attend. The season runs until November. 

Other fun places to take the kids to see where produce really comes from are Weavers Way’s community farms at Awbury Arboretum in East Oak Lane  – which also has goat walks on Sundays – and Henry Got Crops, just off Henry Avenue in Roxborough. Henry Got Crops hosts a farm market which is open to the public on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays through November 30.