One of my favorite fall garden activities is planting spring flowering bulbs. Last year I bought my bulbs at local stores, However, it is apparent that 2021 is different from previous gardening years. This is partly because we now have millions of more gardeners than before.

My John Scheepers fall 2021 catalog has warned that the worldwide demand for Dutch bulbs is unprecedented, leading to shortages of certain types. Rather than wait to see what I can buy locally, I placed an order with McClure and Zimmerman.

By late summer most of our garden beds and borders no longer look their best. In the case of perennials, you can sometimes encourage the plants to rebloom by removing the spent flowers and old flower stalks. This is one way to give the garden a fresher look.

When there is available space, consider adding some new late blooming perennials. Examples include the purple coneflower and the black eyed susans.

For gardeners with lots of energy, there is also the option of planning some cold tolerant annuals that can help freshen the garden. This time of year there are lots of plants available at garden centers and nurseries. Snapdragons are one option. Depending on the climate, these might survive the winter.

One quick way to add fall color to the garden is to plant some fall blooming bulbs. The list includes autumn crocus, which is actually a species of colchicums. There are also fall blooming crocus, such as the saffron crocus, and the sternbergias. Once planted, all of these bulbs will continue to bloom year after year.

One of my favorite fall annuals is the colorful ornamental peppers. Once they’re planted, these will continue flowering and fruiting until frost.
Meanwhile, they an add beautiful color to the garden.


Fall is one of the favorite times for decorating the garden. This can include pumpkins, winter squash, gourds, and the like.

Fall is my favorite time of year, and one reason for that is that the almanacs are released about that time. One valuable resource in planning your garden activities is the 2022 John Baer’s Agricultural Almanac and Gardener’s Guide.

Edited by Linda L. Weidman, it is truly the almanac for all seasons as the cover states. I recommend the five year subscription because it is so convenient. Single copies are also available.

The almanac offers a wide range of astrological information, such as the signs of the zodiac. For each month, there is a table showing the weather forecasts, signs of the moon, sun, etc. for each day. There is also a summary account of the weather predictions for the year and for key crops, such as fruits, hops, and grapes.

The almanac offers a wide range of gardening information. There are gardening articles on a wide range of subjects, such as dividing plants, plants in transition, and the All America Selections winners.
There is also an article on beans from the National Garden Bureau.

There is a handy page on the garden signs, including the moon and the signs of the zodiac. This also has a fishing calendar and a handy vegetable planting table giving the proper planting dates for the various regions.

The almanac even has a procrastinator’s table giving the first and late dates for planting different kinds of crops. The monthly lore is always one of my favorite parts of the almanac.

This section features stories on the Spanish flu in 1918 and other subjects, including certain garden plants, such as hellebores, wild flowers, Swiss chard and microgreens.

The almanac features many highlights from American history. There is an enlightening article about the founding of the Yellowstone National Park. These include profiles on Henry Clay, Susan B. Anthony and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, founder of the American School for the Deaf. Also don’t forget the almanac features lots of scrumptious recipes.