Your first #fall gardening task should be to make an honest assessment of what worked and what didn’t, Proven Winners says, to create a plan for next year. Then, remove annuals from containers and landscapes and store pots away for winter. Still-warm soil promotes healthy root growth, however, so this is a good time to plant trees, shrubs and bulbs. You can also divide perennials and cut them back, but leave the pruning for spring. Most of the excess foliage can go in a compost pile, but be alert to disease and infestation — you don’t want to risk reintroducing blight into your garden next spring. #FallGardeningTips
Tag: get ready for fall
The Benefits of Mulching in the Fall
#Mulching is often a job that #gardeners perform in the #spring to maintain their beds’ moisture, keep weeds at bay and retard erosion. But many landscaping professionals also advise mulching in the #fall for the same purposes, HGTV says. Adding #mulch in the fall insulates the soil to provide a warm environment for earthworms and microbes that improve soil, and it insulates plant roots, which can protect seedlings that are still getting established. Plus, mulching in the fall may save you time during the busy spring planting season — and the weather likely won’t be as hot and sticky when you do it. #FallGardeningTips
Prep Your Garden for Spring in the Fall
With the start of #fall last weekend, many #home #gardeners across the country are starting to see their vegetable harvests slow and their flowers start to fade. That means it’s a good time to clean up and prep the #garden for the next growing season. First, remove any plants that show signs of weakness or disease, says EarthEasy, and any invasive weeds. Then, allow the healthy plants to die and decay naturally to enrich your soil. You may also choose to plant a cover crop such as rye, clover or barley and till those plants under in the spring to return valuable nutrients to the soil for all of your plantings. #FallGardeningTips
Why Fall Is America’s Favorite Season
Fall begins on Saturday, Sept. 23, and four out of 10 U.S. residents couldn’t be happier. That’s right: According to a 2022 Morning Consult survey of more than 2,000 Americans, 41% named fall as their favorite season.
Spring and summer tied for second place, with 24% each, and winter (perhaps not surprisingly) garnered only 11%. Women, Midwesterners and Southerners, and Gen X were the biggest fans of fall; interestingly, Gen Z is the only demographic to like winter second-best.
What contributes to fall’s popularity? Sociologically speaking, the season is associated with many temporal landmarks, sociologist Kathryn Lively told HuffPost. Temporal landmarks are significant dates such as birthdays, holidays and other events that structure perceptions of time.
Fall birthdays are commonplace in the U.S., and events such as the start of school, Halloween, Thanksgiving and even homecoming provide people with fond memories that carry through to the annual change of seasons.
Survey respondents listed any number of justifications for their fall fandom. Almost two-thirds of those who named it as their favorite season (63%) said they enjoy seeing the leaves change color; more than half (58%) highlighted the Thanksgiving holiday.
Fall’s crisper weather (56%), fall foods (50%) and fall clothing (44%) also made the list, followed by Halloween (41%) and football (37%). In a poke at pumpkin spice lattés, only 32% named fall-inspired beverages.
But it’s more likely that positive emotions and memories drive people’s feelings for fall. More than two-thirds of those surveyed said they feel “happy,” “content,” “excited,” “optimistic” and “nostalgic” in autumn. It’s a time for people to turn to comforts like sweaters and a hearty meal.
As you get your fall #clothing out this year, take stock of what you really need and wear, and #donate any extras to ClothingDonations.org. You’ll be sharing those good fall feelings with #veterans nationwide.
Streamline Your Wardrobe as the Seasons Change
Fall begins on Thursday, Sept. 22, and most areas of the country will soon enjoy cooler, crisper weather. As the seasons change, one’s wardrobe has to change, too; shorts and T-shirts won’t be of much use as temperatures tumble from summery 70s and 80s to the 60s, 50s and below.
Without getting into the weeds on what the Vogue fashionistas say is and isn’t in style this season, The Organizing Blog would like to remind readers that this transitional time is a perfect opportunity to #edit your #wardrobe.
As you reintegrate cold-weather garb into the daily routine, take a look at the #summer clothes you did and didn’t wear this year. Sort out the items you wore back into a closet or a storage bin, and trash or #donate the rest. You didn’t need them this year, and you won’t in 2023.
Summer-only clothing that makes the cut but should definitely be packed and stored for next year includes short-sleeve tops, open-toed shoes, beachwear, summer shorts, tropical prints, and linens and other lightweight garments, says The Closet Edit.
Wash or dryclean these items and store them in tucked-away baskets, plastic bins or a closet that’s distinct from your main or go-to closet. Then you can begin to integrate all of the fall and winter clothing you stored last year into active rotation.
As you make room in your closets for those fall garments, you’ll find items that didn’t get worn and shouldn’t have been stored last year. #Trash or #donate these garments unless you have a compelling reason to keep them. Perhaps you lost a few pounds and those old pants fit again?
There will also be #transitional #clothing items that you wear year-round and #accessorize according to the weather. Since they are subject to heavy use, check to see what’s going to continue to serve you through the winter, and what’s come to the end of its useful life.
As always, bag up any lightly used garments that you don’t need or want and contact ClothingDonations.org to schedule a free, #contactless #donation #pickup. We’ll take those items off your hands and resell them to fund valuable #veterans programs.
Here’s to a fashionable, #streamlined and #organized fall and winter!