How to Set up an Autumn Garden?

Autumn, which is often overlooked for its gardening potential, is a fantastic time to plant various vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Unlike the intense heat stress in summer, the mild days and chilly nights of autumn create an ideal environment for many plants to flourish. This section will explore the best plants to plant in autumn, helping you make the most of this delightful season.

Vegetables to Plant in Autumn

Vegetables to Plant in Autumn

Leafy Greens

• Lettuce: Looseleaf varieties are ready in 30 to 45 days. They can be sown every 10 days or so for a steady harvest. Fall is a great time for lettuce as it thrives in cool weather and doesn't bolt like in spring.
• Spinach: Fall spinach loves cool soil and doesn't bolt. It can be harvested in about 30 days and tastes even better after a touch of frost.
• Swiss Chard: Fast-growing, colorful, and tough enough for light frost. It can be harvested in about 50 days and is a real trooper in the garden.
• Kale: Cold sweetens kale, making it even more delicious. Varieties like 'Winterbor' and 'Redbor' are especially hardy and can be harvested in about 60 days.
• Mustard Greens: These are fast-growing and can be harvested in about 45 days. They are frost-hardy and add a spicy kick to salads.
• Asian Greens: Such as tatsoi, pac choi, mizuna, and napa cabbage. They are fast, flavorful, and frost-hardy, making them ideal for fall gardening.

Brassicas

• Broccoli: Cooler weather means tighter heads and fewer pests. It can be started from transplants and is worth the wait, maturing in about 60 days.
• Cauliflower: Similar to broccoli, cauliflower thrives in cool weather and can be harvested in about 60 days from transplants.
• Kohlrabi: Quick, crunchy, and great raw or roasted. It matures well in cool weather and isn't bothered as much by cabbage moth larvae as spring-planted brassicas. It can be harvested in about 50 days.
• Cabbage: Both regular cabbage and Napa cabbage are good choices for fall. They can be harvested in about 60 days from transplants.

Root Vegetables

• Radishes: Some varieties are ready in just 3 weeks, making them one of the quickest crops to harvest.
• Carrots: Take a bit longer to mature, but the cold makes them sweeter. They can be harvested in about 70 days.
• Beets: Can be harvested in about 50 days. Both the roots and the greens are edible and nutritious.
• Turnips: These can be harvested in about 40-50 days. They are faster for greens and taste great after a frost.

Herbs to Plant in Autumn

Herbs to Plant in Autumn

• Parsley: Parsley is a low-maintenance herb that loves cool weather. It is a biennial, meaning it can last through the winter in milder climates. It’s available in two main varieties: flat leaf and curly leaf.
• Dill: Dill thrives in temperatures between 40°F (4.4°C) and 75°F (23.9°C). It can be sown as soon as temperatures drop below 85°F (29.4°C) in late summer or early fall.
• Cilantro: Cilantro prefers cooler weather and is less likely to bolt (go to seed) in the fall. It can be planted once the days start growing shorter and cooler.
• Chives: Chives are extremely cold-hardy perennials. They can be grown year-round in warmer climates and will return from their roots in the spring in colder climates.
• Oregano: Oregano is an easy-to-grow herb that is winter hardy down to zone 5. It can be planted in the early fall and will return in the spring.
• Sage: Sage is a semi-woody perennial that is winter hardy down to zone 5. It can withstand cold temperatures and adds a beautiful contrast to other plants in the garden.
• Thyme: Thyme is hardy down to zone 5 and grows quickly. It looks lovely draped over the corners of an herb garden or raised bed.
• Rosemary: Rosemary is a woody evergreen herb that is hardy enough to survive some winter climates. It can tolerate temperatures down to about 10°F (-12.2°C).

Flowers to Plant in Autumn

Flowers to Plant in Autumn

Fall Annual Flowers

• African Daisy: Despite their common name, these daisy-like flowers thrive in the cooler seasons of spring and fall.  They come in various colors and can be planted in fall containers and landscapes.  They are annuals except in zones 9-11, prefer part sun to sun, and grow 8-12” tall.
• Calibrachoa: This classic summer annual is surprisingly cold-tolerant and will last until frost.  It can be used as a filler or spiller in containers, window boxes, and hanging baskets.  It is available in over 40 varieties and is an annual except in zones 9-11.  It prefers part sun to sun and grows 6-12” tall.
• Petunia: Petunias are cold-tolerant and bloom until frost.  They come in a variety of colors and can be used in containers and gardens.  They are annuals except in zones 10-11, prefer part sun to sun, and grow 4-12” tall.
• Nemesia: These annuals have bubbly blooms and come in a broad range of colors.  They are perfect for mixing with ornamental peppers and kale in patio pots and window boxes.  They are annuals except in zones 8-10, prefer part sun to sun, and grow 6-18” tall depending on the cultivar.
• Salvia: Annual salvias are some of the longest-lasting annuals, flowering from planting until frost.  They attract pollinators with their violet-blue flower spikes.  They are annuals, and their zone and height vary by variety.  They prefer part sun to sun and are deer resistant.
• Sunflower: Unlike seed varieties, these shorter, broadly mounded sunflowers produce hundreds of flowers per season.  They start blooming early in the summer and continue until frost without deadheading.  They are annuals except in zones 9-11, prefer full sun, and grow 2-3’ tall.  They are also deer-resistant.
• Sweet Alyssum: This fluffy-textured annual blooms non-stop until frost.  It can be planted in spring or started fresh in fall.  It looks amazing along pathways, in window boxes, or in hanging baskets.  It is an annual except in zones 9-11, prefers part sun to sun, and grows 8-16” tall.
• Verbena: These spreading, trailing annuals bloom from planting time until frost in shades of pink, red, peach, purple, and white.  They are self-cleaning and do not require deadheading.  They are annuals except in zones 8-11, prefer part sun to sun, and grow 6-12” tall.  They are also deer-resistant.
• Lantana: Proven Winners Luscious lantana varieties bloom until frost thanks to their low to no seed set.  They come in shades of red, orange, yellow, fuchsia, and purple.  They are annuals except in zones 9-11, prefer full sun, and grow 12-30” tall depending on the variety.  They are deer-resistant.

Fall Perennial Flowers

• Japanese Anemone: This perennial blooms when many others are waning, producing masses of rich rose pink, semi-double flowers. It is hardy in zones 4-8, prefers part sun to sun, grows 20-26” tall, and is deer and rabbit-resistant.
• Russian Sage: This perennial has upright spiky flowers that pair well with other fall colors. It is hardy in zones 4-9, prefers full sun, grows 28-36” tall, and is deer resistant.
• Stonecrop: This diverse group of perennials blooms in late summer and fall. They love plentiful sunshine and drier soils and are very low maintenance. They are hardy in zones 3-9, prefer full sun, and their height varies by variety. They are also rabbit-resistant.
• Anise Hyssop: This long-blooming perennial attracts pollinators with its colorful, tubular blooms from midsummer into fall. It prefers a sunny, drier spot with good soil drainage and is hardy in zones 5-9. It grows 28-36” tall and is deer resistant.
• Garden Mums: These quintessential fall flowers come in a variety of colors and bloom on mounded plants. They are hardy in zones 7-9, prefer full sun, and grow 12-24” tall.
• Hardy Fountain Grass: Unlike purple fountain grass, this perennial returns year after year in zones 5-9. It produces foxtail-like plumes and is excellent for foundation plantings, focal points, or large containers in warmer zones. It prefers full sun and grows 3-4’ tall. It is also deer-resistant.
• Bluestar: This perennial has willowy foliage that turns a sumptuous shade of golden orange in the fall. It is hardy in zones 4-9, prefers part sun to sun, grows 18-30” tall, and is deer resistant.

Fall Flowering Shrubs

• Reblooming Azalea: These azaleas bloom in spring and then again later in the summer until frost. They come in an array of colors and are excellent for foundation plantings and low maintenance landscapes. They are hardy in zones 6b-9, prefer part sun to sun, and their height varies by variety.
• Bluebeard: This shrub attracts honeybees with its late summer to fall blooms. It has blue or pink flowers and green or gold foliage. It is hardy in zones 5-9 (Beyond Midnight® and Sunshine Blue® II) or zones 7b-9 (Beyond Pink’d®), prefers full sun, grows 2-3’ tall, and is deer resistant.
• Butterfly Bush: This bush blooms from summer well into fall with rich jewel-toned flowers. It attracts butterflies and other pollinators but not deer. It is hardy in zones 5-9, prefers full sun, and its height varies by variety.
• Panicle Hydrangea: As the cooler days of fall approach, these hydrangeas transition from white to pink and red. They bloom on new wood and are very easy to grow. They are hardy in zones 3-8, prefer part sun to sun, and their height varies by variety.
• Reblooming Hydrangea: These hydrangeas offer plentiful fall color with their blooms. Cooler fall temperatures can draw even more intense colors out of the blooms. They are hardy in zones 4 or 5-9, depending on the variety, prefer part sun to sun, and their height varies by variety.