Welcoming Fall to Your North Texas Garden

Editor’s Note: This post has been updated with 2014 Plant Sales & Events info. Originally published October 2013.

After the heat of a North Texas summer, fall is always a welcome relief. Plants are starting to grow again, putting out new foliage and storing up carbohydrates (food) for the coming winter months. Colors on the trees will soon beckon us outside to enjoy the cooler weather and spend more time in our gardens.

Ft. Worth Botanic Garden in the fall

Autumn is an ideal time for planting many perennials and shrubs. Plan your garden now and you’ll be creating a fall color display you can enjoy for years to come.

The sooner you get your plants in the ground, the more time they have to get established, plus the longer you have to enjoy their fall colors. Trees are the exception to the fall planting rule: winter is the best time for trees. See my post on winter tree care and planting for more on this topic.

My personal favorite native Texas and well-adapted fall blooming plants are Mexican Bush Sage (purple), Blackfoot Daisy (white) and Four Nerve Daisy (yellow). This perennial grouping is a striking color combination for the front yard that is sure to become a neighborhood favorite. And as Texas (and Mexican) natives, these fall bloomers can tough out and even bloom through our summers.

If you could use some help planning your fall garden (or cleaning up and regrouping after the summer season took its toll!), a little Garden Coaching might be just what you need. We can work together to add a touch of color in your garden beds or containers, and at the same time, you can learn best practices for caring for your garden for each changing season.

You can also find many beautiful color combinations to brighten up your garden yourself this fall at our local native nurseries and plant sales.

DFW Area Fall Plant Sales & Events for October 2014

First this month is the Fall Garden Festival on Saturday Oct. 4th, held by the Denton County Master Gardener Association. The theme is “Texas Gardening — You can do it!”, and the event is indoors this year, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Family Life Center at Trietsch Memorial in Flower Mound. Looks to be a fun and informative event!

The Fort Worth Botanic Garden will hold their plant sale Saturday, October 10th, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m and October 11th from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The sale will feature trees, shrubs, ornamental grasses, perennials, vines, annuals and spring-flowering bulbs.

The Collin County Master Gardeners Association will host their Bulb & Perennial Mart, featuring hard-to-find heirloom bulbs and drought-tolerant perennials Saturday, October 18th, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Myers Park.

Also on Saturday, October 18th, the Grapevine Garden Club is sponsoring the Plant Native Plant Now sale at the Botanical Gardens at Heritage Park from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The sale will feature unique native and well-adapted trees and shrubs, with a focus on nectar and host plants for butterflies, and will coincide with the Butterfly Flutterby event.

Tags: fall, seasonal color, Texas native plants

Category: Events, Gardening