How to make the most of your garden this fall

(BPT) - As temperatures get crisp, there's still plenty to do and enjoy in the garden. Beyond tidying up and preparing for the months ahead, fall is a great time to refresh outdoor spaces with décor and seasonal plants that can thrive well into the season.

For novices and experienced gardeners alike, this fall checklist from the tastemakers at Ball Horticultural Company can help with planning as the season changes.

Tidy, harvest, refresh and protect

This is the perfect time of year to clean up containers and garden beds while giving shrubs and other plants some end-of-summer TLC. Continue to harvest your ripened vegetables but also take the opportunity to collect herbs and flowers, which can be hung dry and enjoyed beyond the season.

Do you enjoy getting crafty? Use a flower press to create dried flower potpourri or sachets, shower bundles, floral displays for shadow boxes, or seasonal wreaths. Everyone loves a gift from the garden!

To refresh patio containers and garden beds, fill in bare spots by selecting hardy seasonal plants and flowers that can add a touch of color:

• Rosemary Blue Cascade is hardy to zone 6a and beautifully fills garden beds or trails from mixed containers. It offers a pleasant fragrance and can produce dainty blue flowers in the spring.
  
  
• Ageratum Monarch Magic™ is a vibrant, vigorous and drought-resistant season extender that monarch butterflies can't resist. Its spreading habit and bright purple color make your garden a waystation for migrating pollinators.

If you still have annuals in color, this is the time to feed one last time for a final boost. You should also mulch around your hardy perennials to help protect them as the season changes. Remove any spent flowers or those suffering from foliar disease.

Extend color throughout the season

Cooler weather creates an enjoyable atmosphere for relaxing, working on projects around the garden, and refreshing outdoor spaces with new plants that can last through the fall. Choose from many seasonal options available to satisfy your color preference, growing conditions and the level of maintenance required.

Try adding these choices for an instant burst of bright color to perk up any garden bed or container:

• Rudbeckia Suntacular is a new end-of-summer favorite that stands tall and vase-like in garden designs. These stunning bicolor Black-eyed Susans are emblematic of the fall season, making a striking addition to seasonal gardens and bouquets.
  
  
• Sunflower Always Sunny Gold is a tall, robust plant with multiple branches and friendly blooms. It thrives summer through autumn, creating a stunning display. The flowers are 100% pollen-free for no-mess bouquets, but are rich in nectar to feed bees and beneficial insects.

Enjoy time outdoors

Make the most of the season by enjoying the tranquility of outdoor spaces, whether walking, meditating or simply cherishing every nurturing moment in nature.

Enhance your experience with a colorful blanket of fall blossoms to delight the senses:

• Spreading Pansy Top Wave™ Orange offer big, bold orange blooms for eye-popping baskets and patio pots. They trail vigorously for lovely window boxes, baskets and container spillers, making a perfect addition to cool-season gardens with low maintenance and long-lasting color.
  
  
• Echinacea Artisan™ Collection Yellow Ombre fills gardens with the intense golden-yellow blossoms of the prairie. In the fall, leave the spent blooms and seedheads for foraging songbirds to enjoy.

Fall can also foster connection, offering a wonderful opportunity to gather with friends, family and neighbors while enjoying the season and sharing the year's harvest.

Celebrate and decorate

Use new plants to fill bare spots in gardens and containers while also adding seasonal color to your home's front door, porch or tablescape. Gourds, pumpkins and colorful fall plants and flowers can add a dose of whimsy and fun to showcase the season.

Try a playful mix of plants including these vivid varieties:

• Coleus FlameThrower™ Sriracha provides a colorful texture for mixed containers, with uniquely shaped deep red leaves highlighted by lime green edging.
  
  
• Coleus FlameThrower™ Cajun Spice is another eye-catching accent plant, featuring beautiful orange-red leaves edged in light green.
  
  
• Ornamental Pepper Salsa XP is a collection of potted peppers with colorful fruit, ranging from light yellow and orange to deep red and purple.

From spring through the autumn months, gardening provides a fun and rewarding activity for gardeners of all experience levels. Take advantage of the cool air and warm soil to extend your enjoyment a few months more!

To learn more about fall gardening and recommended plants to make the most of the season, visit www.BallHort.com.