Start Planning Your Fall Garden Now

July is the perfect time to start thinking ahead to your fall garden. While summer flowers are still putting on a beautiful display, planning now gives you time to prepare garden beds, choose the right plants, and enjoy the best selection when fall planting season arrives.

Whether you’re dreaming of colorful autumn containers, adding trees and shrubs, or growing cool-season vegetables, a little planning now can help your landscape transition beautifully into the next season.

Add Lasting Fall Color

As summer annuals begin to slow down, fall favorites can keep your landscape looking fresh and vibrant.

Popular choices include:

• Garden mums
• Asters
• Pansies
• Ornamental kale
• Flowering cabbage

These cool-season plants provide weeks of brilliant color as temperatures begin to cool.

Include Ornamental Grasses

Ornamental grasses add movement, texture, and structure to the landscape.

Many varieties offer:

• Graceful foliage
• Decorative seed heads
• Beautiful fall color
• Winter interest

They pair beautifully with flowering perennials, shrubs, and seasonal containers.

Think Ahead About Trees and Shrubs

Fall is one of the best times to plant trees and shrubs in New Jersey, making July the perfect time to start planning.

Consider adding:

• Flowering shrubs
• Evergreen shrubs
• Shade trees
• Ornamental trees
• Native plants

Preparing planting areas now makes fall projects easier and gives you time to select the right plants for your landscape.

Plan for Spring Bulbs

If you enjoy colorful spring blooms, now is the perfect time to decide where they’ll go.

Popular spring-flowering bulbs include:

• Tulips
• Daffodils
• Crocus
• Hyacinths
• Alliums

Planning ahead ensures you’re ready when bulbs become available later in the season.

Prepare for Cool-Season Vegetables

As summer vegetables begin to slow, many cool-season crops are just getting started.

Excellent choices include:

• Lettuce
• Spinach
• Kale
• Carrots
• Radishes
• Beets

Preparing garden beds now will make planting easier when cooler weather arrives.

Refresh Your Garden Beds

A little mid-summer maintenance now creates a healthier garden later.

Take time to:

• Pull weeds
• Remove tired annuals
• Add compost
• Refresh mulch
• Improve soil where needed

Healthy soil gives new plants the strongest possible start.

Plan Beautiful Fall Containers

It’s never too early to start designing your fall containers.

Combine seasonal favorites like:

• Mums
• Asters
• Ornamental grasses
• Colorful foliage plants
• Decorative pumpkins and gourds later in the season

Planning ahead helps create displays that will brighten your porch or patio for months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is July too early to plan a fall garden?

Not at all. Planning now gives you time to prepare your landscape and choose the best plants before fall planting season begins.

Why should I prepare my garden early?

Removing weeds, improving soil, and refreshing beds now makes planting much easier later.

When should I plant spring bulbs?

Most spring-flowering bulbs are planted in the fall before the ground freezes.

Can I still grow vegetables this year?

Absolutely. Many cool-season vegetables grow exceptionally well as temperatures begin to cool.

Why are ornamental grasses so popular?

They provide texture, movement, beautiful fall color, and winter interest while requiring relatively little maintenance.

Visit Us

Whether you’re planning colorful fall containers, selecting trees and shrubs, preparing for spring bulbs, or getting ready for cool-season vegetables, Donaldson’s Greenhouse & Nursery has everything you need for a successful fall gardening season.

Donaldson’s Greenhouse & Nursery
178 Airport Road
Hackettstown, NJ 07840

Phone: (908) 852-7314

Hours
Monday-Saturday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Visit us for healthy plants, gardening supplies, and expert advice to help your landscape stay beautiful from summer through every season.