What I’d Plant in a D.C. Garden This Fall: The Foods, Flowers, and Perennials That Make the Season Worth Growing
I used to think of fall as the season when the garden started shutting down. Tomatoes slowed down. Summer flowers faded. The sun disappeared earlier every evening, and gardening gradually turned into cleanup: pull the dead plants, rake the leaves, put the tools away, and wait for spring. The more I’ve learned about fall gardening, especially around Washington, D.C., the more I’ve realized how backward that thinking can be. Fall isn’t the end of the gardening season in D.C. In many ways, it is one of the best opportunities of the year. The brutal summer heat begins to loosen its grip. Humidity becomes slightly less offensive. Soil remains warm enough for roots to establish themselves, while cooler air reduces stress on plants. Some vegetables actually prefer these conditions. Perennials can settle into the soil without spending all their energy trying to survive July. And native flowers that look understated earlier in the season suddenly become some of the most important plants in the ...
