Apologies, but I have some pertinent news to pass along that might be an unpleasant reminder to all local gardeners… Yes the rumors are true, we are about to say goodbye to our PNW summer. Goodbye to the extra daylight and yes, we are all required to welcome fall with open arms and a smile. Okay, maybe not required… But in all seriousness, you should be welcoming its return since autumn creates new opportunities in our landscapes and continues the necessary cycle of life throughout the garden. Without fall to gradually create dormancy, our plants would literally get hammered by the quick onset of winter and we would also not get to gaze upon nature’s beautiful and vivid tones. So take a deep breath, relax, and accept the fact that for many of us, our farmer tan will finally now start to fade over the coming weeks.
Autumn is a time to celebrate the bounties that gardens produce… Late summer vegetables to enjoy. Flowers of all kinds to appreciate, even the fading ones of our favorite summer perennials. The last of the berries to pop into our mouths for the season. Fruits of all kinds to be carefully harvested, preserved and canned with care. Fresh flowers like Mums, Asters and Pansies to be planted, perhaps brightening those shady gray days on the horizon. Often new varieties of plants arrive at this time of year, giving us a head start for 2026. The opulent arrival of fall is simply captivating, kicking us into the ultimate season of planting and then, soon enough, the season of the sticks will arrive.
The autumnal equinox will occur on Monday, September 22nd at precisely 11:19 AM our time. Across the globe this is the day that traditionally represents when our sun rises directly due East and sets exactly due West. The fine citizens all over Earth can see this perfect alignment of East to West on this day - our imaginary celestial equator extended into the atmosphere. Often we think of this equinox event as the day of equal light and dark, but this is not actually true as the day of equality occurs a little later at our latitude. On the bright side (get it, bright side?), this would be the perfect day to go out and get your sundial calibrated, if that is your thing. Our Mother Earth is sitting perfectly sideways to the sun, with each pole tipping neither towards nor away from the sun. Perhaps it is the day to dust off your retro Pagan outfit, or build yourself a little backyard Stonehenge, and maybe even bark at the moon. If this is the case, you may have what psychologists call EOP, Equinox Obsessive Disorder, a most interesting ailment. I may get diagnosed soon… This is a great day on which we should contemplate “equality”, if you ask me. Wow, does that ring true in these tumultuous times?
I mentioned barking at the moon (which of course I am kidding about), but it does bring our most important celestial neighbor into this discussion. More specifically the Harvest Moon, a celebratory event going back for eons from Northern Europe. This special full moon happens just once each year and it used to provide our agriculturally-inclined ancestors a key for harvesting each fall. This year it will shine upon us all from October 5th-7th, with peak brightness on October 6th just before midnight. These are the nights the moon rises the quickest, following the setting sun almost immediately in the sky. The skies glow like no other time of year, adding extended daylight (or in this case moonlight) into the evening and thus allowing our farming brethren (and us gardeners) a bit more time to harvest their crops.
Now that I have delved into the world of astrological happenings, back to gardening for a moment or two. With the onset of autumn, I will continue to stand atop my giant heap of compost and exclaim “Fall is for planting!” With the rains coming and the warm soil temperatures, it is ideal to plant just about anything in the ground. Shop fall sales, saving some of your hard earned gardening moolah, and get those new garden treasures into your landscape. Many perennials, and deciduous shrubs and trees, may be looking a little “tired” at the local garden center, but trust me when I say that you are purchasing pure plant potential. These specimens will surely pop back to life come springtime and bring you years of gardening satisfaction.
This is also the month to plan for two useful winter gardening tasks; transplanting and the dividing of your specimens (if needed). Once frost has settled for the first time, plants will be dormant and in a much safer stage for relocation or division. I suggest tying a little flag on this plant or that one, reminding you to take a moment over the winter to take care of it. This rings especially true for perennials as, if you are like me, once they disappear for the winter they become forgotten until emerging the following spring. Where was that ginormous clump of Hosta again? Where did I plant that Phlox in that bed? Perhaps marking some of these can help you, as it does for me.
As I have exclaimed many times, autumn is my personal season of choice. We are finally cooling off a bit, getting some rain to replenish our soil moisture, and getting ready for all of Mother Nature’s bright colors. I may lose some of you with the cooling off a bit proclamation (of course I am NEVER in a rush to say goodbye to our unreliable summer sunshine!), but it is about time to turn the page of our garden novel to the autumn chapter. This Washington native enjoys those 65-degree highs and partly cloudy forecasts, so I welcome back fall with my arms wide open. Happy autumnal equinox to all!
Remember, leaves up and roots down…
