Fall Plantings and Fiberglass Planters - A Great Combination...

Fall is upon us here in New England. The leaves are turning and the nights are growing colder.Some cranberry farmers are still harvesting.Folks have closed up swimming pools, begun to winterize campers and put away all the summer toys.Just this week I took the last tomatoes off my plants and turned everything under in preparation for next year.  I've decided to plant winter rye in my vegetable garden. Over the winter and when I turn it under in the spring, the winter rye will add valuable nutrients to my soil. I also took all the summer plants out of my fiber glass planters, to make ready for some fall plantings.

Still, I'm not ready for winter just yet. I found some stunning  fiberglass planters and I'm going over to the greenhouses to check out asters and mums and other fall plants. I particularly like mums and asters because they will hang tough through light frosts until Thanksgiving. 

I like the idea of a fiberglass planter because they are frost tolerant and quite durable. Over the years I've ruined terra cotta planters by leaving them out too long. If allowed to freeze, terra cotta will crack or break. I know this from experience. I miss my flowers and decorative plants in the winter. Sometimes after a windy day or a storm, I go out and gather pine branches and bits of holly to adorn my bare planters. In the past I've wired pine cones to the branches for more interest.