Fall Foliage Tree Varieties Available at Meadows Farms

Remember, the trees listed below are just a selection of the varieties that Meadows Farms carries. Please call your local Meadows Farms for other varieties or special requests.

The post 13 Fall Foliage Tree Varieties That Offer Stunning Color appeared first on Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping.

Today, we’re going to focus on the fall blooming varieties of camellia and highlight some of the top choices you can find right now at Meadows Farms Nurseries.

What are Fall Camellias?

Camellia japonica is the spring-blooming varieties of camellia that begin their bloom cycle in late winter and continue through the first part of spring. For today’s post, we’re interested in Camellia sasanqua, the fall blooming varieties that begin their blooming in late fall and continue into the first part of winter.

Fall blooming camellias are generally hardier than their spring-blooming cousins, as well as being more drought and disease-tolerant. While most camellias prefer light shade, fall bloomers can tolerate more sun than spring-bloomers. It’s not all rosy for fall bloomers, as they tend to be smaller, both in growth and in flower size, than spring-blooming varieties.

Shop For Fall Blooming Camellia Varieties At Meadows Farms

Here are some of the best fall blooming camellias carried by Meadows Farms Nurseries. Please note that inventory varies between locations, so please contact your closest Meadows Farms location for availability information.

The post The 7 Best Varieties of Fall Blooming Camellia Flowers appeared first on Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping.

Choosing Your Container

The first step is to select a container that suits your style and space. Consider factors like size, material, and drainage. Get creative! Resin, pottery, plastic, tin, wash basins, kitchen sinks, or little red wagons—all types of containers are fair game! Choose a container with drainage holes or plan to drill holes in your container and remember bigger containers require less frequent watering.

Adding Your Soil

Fill your container with a high-quality potting mix specifically designed for containers. This will provide essential nutrients and promote healthy root growth. Some gardeners prefer to use an inverted pot or an empty milk jug to displace the soil in a large container, but remember that the bigger the root mass, the bigger your flowers will be.

Your Plants

The key to a successful fall container garden is choosing plants with complementary colors, textures, and growth habits. Consider the “Thriller, Filler, Spiller” method:

Thriller

Your thriller is your focal point. Choose a premium annual or perennial with great flowers or foliage. For the fall, large mums or beautiful ornamental grass are just a few good ideas for your fall centerpiece.

Fillers

Your fillers are accent plants you will want to plant around your centerpiece—usually three to five plants depending on the size of your chosen container. Use plants that contrast with the centerpiece for interest and variety. Fall plants like colorful pansies and smaller mums or ornamental cabbage and kale make great options for this.

Spillers

Your spillers are typically cascading, running, or vining plants that can be placed in between your fillers and will tumble over the edge of the container. Options include colorful calibrachoa, wave petunias, ajuga, sweet potato vine, trailing sedums, and more. Ideally, the soil will not be seen after a very short time. All they’ll see is color.

Maintenance Tips

• Watering: Water your container garden regularly, especially during dry periods. Check the soil moisture regularly and adjust watering accordingly.
• Fertilizing: Feed your plants with a balanced fertilizer every few weeks to promote healthy growth and flowering.
• Deadheading: Remove spent blooms to encourage continuous flowering and prevent pests and diseases.
• Winter Protection: In Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland, where winters can be chilly, consider moving your container garden indoors to a sheltered area or covering it with a frost blanket to protect it from freezing temperatures.

Stock Up on Fall Gardening Essentials at Meadows Farms

To create a stunning fall container garden of your own, visit any Meadows Farms location to find a wide selection of high-quality plants, containers, and gardening supplies. Our knowledgeable staff can provide expert guidance and help you choose the perfect plants for your outdoor space.

The post How to Make a Stunning Fall Container Garden appeared first on Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping.

Why Fall is the Perfect Planting Season

While fall brings cooler air temperatures, the soil often remains warm, encouraging root growth. These roots then continue to grow through the winter until the ground freezes, or in areas with mild winters such as ours, roots may continue to grow all winter long.

In early spring, the roots will begin new growth or continue to develop at a faster rate, and top growth begins. While the same plant planted in spring gets a slow start due to cool soils, the fall-planted plants are becoming well-established. When summer finally arrives, the fall-planted plant is far better equipped to deal with heat and drought, largely due to its well-established root system.

Plus, there are plenty of other good reasons to plant in the fall, too, such as dependable rainfall, cooler weather, and fewer pest and disease problems. In addition, many plants are on sale at nurseries, which makes fall planting good for you, too!

When Should I Do My Fall Planting?

Fall officially begins with the autumnal equinox in late September. For optimal growth, aim to plant roughly six weeks before the first hard frost. In the mid-Atlantic, including Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and D.C., this typically falls around October 17th. However, we recommend regularly checking specific frost dates for your local area to ensure precise timing.

What To Plant in The Fall in Virginia

Fall Flowers

As summer’s hues fade, fall introduces a new palette of possibilities for your Virginia garden.  Fall flowers like mums or ornamental cabbages and kales can add bursts of color into your yard. Pansies, often considered a spring bloom, thrive in the cool fall weather. Planted now, they’ll not only beautify your garden this season but also return even more spectacularly next spring.

Lawn Seed

Fall is the best time of the year to plant grass seed. The warm soil and cool air are ideal for establishing new grass. If you are going to renovate your lawn and you have to eliminate weeds, get going. You need at least two weeks to make sure that you have most of the weeds eliminated in your yard before you start to plant your seed. This is the best time to plant your new seed to have it established this fall.

Cool-Weather Crops

Take advantage of fall’s mild temperatures by tending to a variety of cool-weather vegetables. From crisp lettuce to hearty kale and broccoli, your garden can continue to produce fresh, flavorful produce well into the autumn months. Careful planning and frost protection will extend your harvest season.

Stock Up on Fall Gardening Supplies

Visit any of our local garden centers across Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia to discover a world of possibilities. Our expert staff is here to guide you through the planting process, ensuring you have the tools, plants, and knowledge you need to create a thriving outdoor space.

The post Virginia Fall Planting Guide: Your Seasonal Success Plan appeared first on Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping.

When to Plant Pansies For Fall

Pansies are a fantastic choice for Virginia gardens, offering a vibrant display of color for an extended period. To enjoy blooms throughout the fall, winter, and spring, consider the following planting schedule:

• Fall Planting: Plant pansies in mid-September to early October to enjoy their beauty through the fall and into the winter.
• Successive Plantings: For continuous blooms, make multiple plantings spaced a week or two apart. This will ensure a steady supply of colorful flowers throughout the season.

Planting Pansies

• Prep: Choose a planting location that is well-drained and works in 4-6 inches of rich organic matter, such as Meadows Farms Planting Mix or peat moss.
• Plant: Plant pansies at about the same level, or slightly higher, than they were growing in their market packs or containers, taking care not to plant too deep or the plants may wilt and rot and the roots could smother.
• Maintenance: After planting, mulch and water the bed thoroughly. Remember to check the plants often during the first three weeks after planting or until new growth begins, to ensure adequate moisture necessary for healthy growth. Because these plants require very little care, no further maintenance is usually necessary for them to reach their full potential.

Where to Plant Pansies

Pansies are incredibly versatile and can be used to enhance various areas of your garden or landscape. Here are some of our favorite planting ideas:

• Along Paths and Walls: Add a graceful drift of single-colored pansies or a mass of mixed colors to brighten a border, under a tree or along a fence, pathway, deck, or wall.
• Garden Borders: Try tucking single plants in garden beds around perennials and shrubs that have finished blooming to brighten up an otherwise dreary section of the landscape and to help mask older, spent growth.
• Container: Pansies also do well in containers placed on a deck or patio or next to the entrance of your home to greet your guests with welcoming colors.
• Hanging Baskets: Try pansies in a hanging basket and you can even move them indoors to enjoy when the weather is too poor for outdoor gardening.
• As a Gift: A small container of fall pansies can also be a great gift for winter holidays, birthdays, or just to brighten the day for anyone who could use a touch of color in their life.

Shop Pansies for Fall Planting

Visit any of our local garden centers in Virginia, Maryland, or West Virginia to explore a stunning array of fall pansies. Our knowledgeable staff is ready to assist you in selecting the perfect varieties for your garden and provide expert guidance on planting and care.

The post Fall In Love with Fall Pansies appeared first on Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping.

Asters

When the blooms of many summer perennials are fading, the fall-blooming perennial aster is at its best. Perennial aster can beautify your existing flower beds and can also make excellent cut flowers for indoor arrangements. Asters bloom with loads of daisy-like flowers of white, pink, fuchsia, or lavender, so there’s bound to be a variety for every taste. Plant in areas of full sun to part shade for best results.

Beautyberry

This aptly named shrub blooms with pinkish-lavender flowers in the summer months. However, it’s the clusters of small berries that turn bright purple in the fall that make Beautyberry a necessity in any fall garden. The fall foliage also turns an attractive shade of yellow, which complements the purple of the berries very well.

Chrysanthemums

Grown for their beautiful fall flowers for centuries, mums are a staple of the fall garden. The flowers come in many colors and bloom from early September until late fall. Mums will grow well in almost any soil although they prefer harsh, limy, well-drained soil. Full sun is best, but a half day’s sun will suffice. Mums also make a great indoor plant and can be used in potted arrangements or as cut flowers.

Japanese Maples

Fall color is not just limited to flowers. Various trees and shrubs provide excellent color options as their foliage turns for the season. A standout in this regard is the Japanese maple. Green-leaved varieties like the weeping ‘Virdis’ erupt in a fireball of orange shades in the fall, while burgundy-leaved varieties like the weeper ‘Crimson Queen’ and the upright ‘Bloodgood’ provide deep, bright shade of red. With so many varieties to choose from, it’s hard to go wrong when it comes to fall color.

Ornamental Cabbage and Kale

Ornamental cabbage and kale provide vivid color for your landscape from fall into early winter! The vibrant greens, purples, pinks, and whites that wash the leaves of these plants work as a standalone planting or as a compliment to other fall plantings such as chrysanthemums or pansies.

Ornamental Grasses

Ornamental grasses are available in a wide array of colors, shapes, textures, and sizes. The flowers and subsequent seed heads are equally diverse, and each grass species has its unique form. Foliage colors include various shades of greens, blues, and reds, as well as variegated varieties of red, white or yellow foliage banded with ivory or yellow stripes. In the fall, the spring and summer colors change to hues of red, beige, or brown, providing a great winter garden accent.

Pansies

Arguably the most popular cool-season flower available, pansies will give you the best color shows from fall all the way through until the following summer. Pansies come in a variety of different colors and are beautiful plants for containers, window boxes, along borders, or as a groundcover of color inside an existing flower bed.

Sedum ‘Autumn Fire’

This late-season favorite is aptly named. Its blooms shine when gardens need color the most, becoming brighter as summer fades into autumn. Broccoli-shaped flower heads emerge light green in midsummer but slowly deepen from light pink to burgundy. The blooms are also great for pollinators.

Stop into your local Meadows Farms location today for these and many more options for your fall landscape.

Shop Fall Flowers & Plants at Meadows Farms

Visit your local Meadows Farms location today to explore our wide selection of fall plants. Our knowledgeable staff is ready to assist you in selecting the option for your home and provide expert guidance on planting and care.

The post Meadows Farms’ Top 8 Fall Flowers & Plants appeared first on Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping.

Fall plantings are not limited to just mums anymore. This is just a small sampling of the many perennials you can plant in the fall found at any of our locations in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and DC. Many of these perennials either bloom in the fall or have great fall color in their foliage. Plus, all perennials benefit from being planted in the fall as the cool temperatures and abundant rainfall are perfect for perennial root growth. To learn more about these and many other varieties of perennials, annuals, trees, and shrubs, visit our Plant Finder Tool.

Achillea (Yarrow)

Though typically thought of as a summer bloomer, many varieties of Yarrow bloom well into the fall. Yarrow is a herbaceous perennial with mounded forms of flowers. These flowers are irresistible to butterflies, making them a great plant for sustaining local pollinators. Yarrow is not particularly attractive to deer, making them a great color choice for deer-infested gardens. They also make a great cut or dried flower for indoor and patio arrangements. Plant them in full sun and you’ll have a colorful summer and fall display year after year.

Anemone

Fall-blooming Anemone is a perennial that comes in a multitude of colors which are a lovely accent to existing plantings. Anemone is great in partial shade but will tolerate full sun as well. Even when not in bloom, anemones have very attractive, glossy foliage that is relatively free of pest and disease damage during the worst of the summer months. The branching flower stems of an anemone are great for cutting for an indoor arrangement and are at peak performance from late summer into early fall.

Echinacea (Coneflower)

A prolific summer bloomer, coneflowers provide excellent color options into the fall season when planted in groupings of other coneflowers. In fact, there are so many colors now available through breeding over recent years that you’re sure to find a variety to suit your needs. They are great for areas of full sun, attract pollinators, and are deer resistant as well, so you really can’t go wrong. Most varieties produce large, showy blooms which are excellent for cuttings. Some varieties, such as the ‘Magnus,’ are natives to our area, and are great additions for those looking to start a perennial native garden. To learn more about the various varieties of Echinaceas, visit our Echinacea page for more.

Heuchera (Coral Bells)

This wonderful full shade to part sun perennial has excellent foliage for the fall (as well as the spring and summer). Heuchera comes in a multitude of different shades and hues giving you a full-color showing just with its foliage. This means that the color lasts throughout the entirety of the growing season. It tolerates dry soil and is deer-resistant, making them perfect for a woodland garden or any gardens plagued by deer. Some varieties even produce tiny flowers on tall, thin stalks during the spring and summer season, adding another layer of interest to these versatile plants. To learn more about the various varieties of Heuchera, visit out Heuchera page for more.

Planting Perennials in the Fall

The fall season is one of the best seasons for planting your perennials. By planting them in the fall, you’re helping them to establish healthy root systems.

Perennials planted in the spring only have a short amount of time to prepare their root systems to survive the summer heat and drought. Their young root systems must not only deal with these harsh conditions but must also produce enough nutrients and water to support months of growth and flowering as well.

By planting your perennials in the fall instead, their root systems will have ample time to grow throughout the fall and winter months. That’s right! Even when the perennial has died back for the winter it’s roots are still growing and expanding beneath the surface without the stress of having to provide nutrients like it must in the spring. This ensures that your perennials will have a head start next summer with a stronger and deeper root system that will give them a better chance of surviving the harsh conditions of our summers.

How to Plant Container-Grown Perennials

Fall is also a great time to start planting perennials in container gardens. Container-grown perennials are so easy to plant. Start by digging a hole that’s a little wider but no deeper than the growing pot of your new perennial. Loosen the roots by hand and spread them out prior to placing them in the hole. This will make sure the roots do not continue to grow in the shape of the container they were in but instead grow downward. Add some potting soil or planting mix and firm the soil around the roots. Top all new plant material with 2 – 3 inches of mulch for winter protection and then water well.

Maintaining Perennials in the Fall

Dividing

Among the most critical fall chores is splitting or dividing perennials. While many people divide their perennials in the spring, by doing it in the fall you are giving your plants ample time to reestablish their root systems throughout the fall, winter, and spring seasons ensuring that they are well prepared for the ensuing summer heat and drought.

There are many reasons why dividing perennials are advantageous to the gardener. Some perennial plants become woody in the center and lose vigor over time causing them to grow and bloom less. Division of these plants encourages vigorous new growth and better blooming in future seasons.

Dividing perennials also allows you to control the spread of large, clumping perennials into areas of the garden that you don’t want them in. Finally, dividing perennials is the cheapest and easiest way to keep plants spread throughout your garden. A crop of well-established Hostas, Garden Phlox, or Black-eyed Susans can be easily divided and scattered throughout the garden, saving you money year after year.

Cutting Back

While our first instincts are to cut back perennials in preparation for the winter, you should think twice before reaching for the garden shears. Several varieties of perennials have beautiful forms and foliage in the wintertime, giving you an excellent focal point in your garden when everything else is barren.

If you’re a bird lover, leaving your flowering perennials uncut through the winter may attract birds to your yard. Leftover seed heads are an excellent source of nourishment for birds, while the leftover foliage provides some cover for them to hide as needed.

If your perennials are marginally hardy varieties such as chrysanthemums or trailing verbena, leaving the old stems intact helps the plant to overwinter and survive into the following spring. Plus, if you cut back your perennials too much, it might be difficult to determine where they are when you’re cleaning out your beds next spring. Don’t accidentally dig up a perennial because you couldn’t see where it was!

There are some instances where cutting back perennials may be beneficial. Any perennials you have that suffered through any sort of disease throughout the growing season should be cut back and the cuttings removed to help prevent spreading in future seasons. Perennials like Monarda, which deal with a common disease like powdery mildew, is a prime example of a perennial that could benefit from early cut back once it’s finished for the season. When cutting any perennials back, it is best to leave two to three inches above the crown to help prevent any winter damage.

Get Perennials from Meadows Farms Today

At Meadows Farms, we well many different types of perennials, along with the tools needed to plant and maintain. Come visit your local Meadows Farms store today to find the perfect perennials for your home or garden!

The post Best Types, Planting, and Maintenance for Fall Perennials in Virginia appeared first on Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping.

When to Plant Bulbs in Virginia?

The best time to plant bulbs is after the first frost but prior to the ground freezing. The first frost in Northern VA usually occurs anywhere from late September to early November. It is wise to purchase bulbs early to get the best selection. Most spring-blooming bulbs arrive at local garden centers around Labor Day weekend, so waiting several months to purchase your favorite bulbs is not recommended if you want your favorites.

Never fear though, bulbs are very easy to store while you wait for the conditions to be right for planting. Keep them in a cool, dry place to prevent early sprouting or rot. A cool garage or basement area should be sufficient in our area.

Where Should I Plant Bulbs

A field of daffodil bulbs can be planted in almost any lighting exposure except for extreme shade. Filtered sunlight is fine for most varieties. Bulbs like well-drained soils, so avoid wet spots in your planting beds which if left unchecked could waterlog and rot your bulbs.

For an interesting and colorful bed, inter-plant your bulbs with pansies to add good fall color while accentuating your spring color. Pansies are biennials, meaning they have two seasons: fall and spring, before they go to seed. Using them now will provide good fall and winter colors and will add to the color explosion in the spring when the tulips and daffodils bloom.

When planting your bulbs, loosen the soil in your beds to a depth of 6-8″ while removing any weeds, rocks, and debris that might accumulate there. The rocky, clay soil in the D.C. area is not the best planting medium for any bulb, so add some organic compost such as Meadows Farms Planting Mix and a fertilizer like Espoma Bulb-Tone or Bone Meal to help encourage growth. Be sure to plant your bulbs with the pointed side up towards the sky.

The Care of Bulbs

In the spring the stalks of old flowers should be cut back. Leave the foliage of the bulb until it dies back naturally to encourage the plant to store energy for the next season. You can fertilize with Espoma Bulb-Tone or Bone Meal again while the bulbs are stored. Fall bulbs do not need to be removed during the summer, though you should be ever-vigilant towards critters like squirrels, chipmunks, and deer who won’t hesitate to dig up your bulbs for food. Use Messina Environmental’s wide range of animal repellents such as Deer Stopper or Squirrel Stopper to help deter them.

Stock Up on Fall Blooming Bubs at Meadows Farms

With a little bit of effort and investment, you can create a spring garden that would make any Dutch noble weep with envy. Come in and stock up on your flowering bulbs today!

The post Fall Bulbs for a Vibrant Virginia Spring appeared first on Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping.

Storing Bulbs

Bare bulbs can be stored for several weeks prior to planting. Store them in a ventilated bag in your refrigerator. You also have the option to pot your bulbs if you have an old refrigerator, root cellar or cool basement to store them in. If you use the refrigerator to cool your bulbs, be sure to cover them with a plastic bag with a few breathing holes punched into it to allow air to the planting site. Bagged or potted bulbs need to be stored for 12 weeks at a temperature below 48 degrees and then brought to a warmer temperature.

Blooming

Make a note of when you planted your bulbs so you don’t forget to take them out when they’re ready. After the 12-week cooling period if you haven’t already you will want to pot your bagged bulbs, or move your potted bulbs into a warm sunny area with early temperatures of 50 to 60 degrees. After you have done this, you can expect approximately a three to four-week wait before you have blooming flowers.

The Best Bulbs for Forcing

If you’re eager to brighten up your home with indoor blooms, here are some of the best bulbs to force:

• Amaryllis (can be forced again and again!)
• Colchicum
• Crocus
• Daffodils
• Freesias
• Iris
• Lily of the Valley
• Grape Hyacinth
• Paperwhites (Narcissus)

Avoid varieties like tulips, as they require a longer cooling period and more consistent temperature fluctuations to thrive indoors.

Pick Up Bulbs Today

Visit any of our garden centers today and explore our wide selection of bulbs perfect for forcing. Our experts are happy to help you select the best varieties and offer guidance on getting your blooms to thrive. Let us help you bring color to your home this winter!

The post How to Force Bulbs to Bloom Indoors appeared first on Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping.

Arugula

Prized by chefs and health gurus across the country, arugula can add a peppery kick of flavor to an ordinary salad and some fantastic health benefits. However, fresh arugula can be expensive to buy in the stores. So why not grow your own? Plant in a well-drained soil that is rich in organic matter. To harvest, pull the leaves you want, leaving the rest to develop for the next harvest. Arugula provides ample doses of vitamin K. Plus, the sulforaphane found in cruciferous vegetables like arugula may help delay or impede cancer growth in the body.

Brussels Sprouts

Popularized in Belgium since around the Middle Ages, Brussels sprouts are a cool-weather vegetable that can provide a great harvest with a little patience. The plant looks like a miniature palm tree with tiny cabbages growing out of the thick trunk-like pods. It’s a fascinating sight! Like broccoli and spinach, Brussels sprouts prefer cooler temperatures, and a light frost actually will improve their flavor. To harvest, remove sprouts from the bottom of the stalk when they reach around 1 inch in diameter. They’re great for oven-roasting, as they keep the heads crisp and accentuate their sweet flavor. Remember only to wash them when you’re about to use them, not before to help them from getting soggy.

Cauliflower

Cauliflower has become the rage for people looking to cut out grains and starches from their diets. Everything from mashed cauliflower, cauliflower rice, and cauliflower mac and cheese has become the norm in healthy cookbooks and recipe blogs. Cauliflower is a cool-season vegetable that takes 8 to 10 weeks to produce, so it should be planted now for best results. They require constant soil moisture of about 1 to 1.5 inches per week. A single cauliflower is high in vitamins C and K and is also very high in antioxidants, which help improve inflammation in the body.

Kale

Everyone is talking about the health benefits of kale, and this is for a good reason. No other vegetable out there provides the range of nutrients that kale offers, over 19 in all! Kale is excellent fresh or cooked, and it’s surprisingly easy to grow. Kale is a “cut and come again” vegetable, so you can harvest young leaves fresh from the plant, or let them mature a bit to use for cooking down. With its curled leaves and shades of green and purple, kale also is an attractive ornamental plant.

Swiss Chard

Swiss chard is related to the beet, and you can identify it by its broad green leaves with veins and stems that are bright red to fuchsia. They make a great summer leafy green for planting in your garden now, but can still handle the cooler temperatures, making it a very versatile addition to your garden. You can cut the leaves for salads or in a pot of cooked greens, and use the ribs just like you would asparagus. Swiss chard is a powerhouse of nutrients, including vitamins A, B6, C, E, K, and riboflavin. They’re also a high source of magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron, sodium, and copper. The consumption of Swiss chard can also help improve bone health and control the symptoms of diabetes.

Cool-Season Vegetable Varieties Available at Meadows Farms

Stop by your local Meadows Farms garden center for a wide selection of vegetables, expert advice, and all the supplies you need to keep your garden thriving this fall.

Please note: Not all varieties will be available at all stores. Please call your local Meadows Farms retail nursery for availability and pricing.

The post Fall Vegetables to Plant in Your Virginia Garden appeared first on Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping.