Backyard Garden Update + Fall Planting

Ok y’all it is August here in the south! That means it is time to get started thinking about what we are planting in our fall and winter gardens! I recently redid my backyard garden area and wanted to show you how everything looks. I will also show you what all I am planting in the upcoming months. Hopefully this will give you some inspiration and ideas for your own backyard gardens! Be sure to check out my YouTube video here for a more detailed tour!

Renovation

Beforehand my garden area consisted of 5 galvanized metal beds I had acquired off of Amazon (see my Amazon shop here), all placed on the ground along the fence. My husband and I prepared the space as best as we could, but even with killing the grass and laying down cardboard the Bermuda still crept in. Also, the beds were together and starting to crowd each other and become very messy. My husband was having a hard time controlling the weeds and maintaining the lawn. So with his blessing I decided to remodel this area and also create two large beds on either side of the yard for more planting. I think the result turned out amazing, and I can’t wait to see how everything looks over the course of this next year!

Pollinator Garden

It is always important for me to think about my pollinators in my garden. I wanted to create a space just for them. I felt like this area on the side of the yard would be a great spot since many of these plants are not terribly big and can be well managed here. This area is not for planting anything for eating but strictly for plants to feed the bees, butterflies and other pollinators and their offspring. I have put a few plants in so far but more will be coming in the spring.

See my YouTube video here about raising butterflies and this blog post for what plants you might want to include in a butterfly garden.

Raised Bed Garden

Doesn’t this area look so much nicer! We had the landscapers remove the sod completely and then lay down landscape fabric over this whole area to help with weeds and control the Bermuda grass. After the fabric was down, I positioned the beds how I wanted them laid out. We then surrounded them with rainbow rock which is both pretty and soft to walk on. Then came the landscape edging, which is deeper along the fence to prevent drop-off. Lastly I placed my solar lights from At Home along the inner side.

I bought all new high quality soil from Nature’s Way Resources, and I also had a drip irrigation system set up. I have been wanting a drip irrigation for so long and now it is a reality! This will definitely save time watering and help keep everything alive when I am so busy or out of town.

This area has 6 raised beds total with over 100 square feet of gardening space. These beds will be planted with cut flowers as well as fruits and vegetables and their companion plants.

Rose Garden

This large planting bed is the other area that is completely new. I wanted a space JUST for roses, and so we added this bed. Once again the landscapers removed the sod, used my old soil from my vegetable beds for on top, then covered the soil with landscape fabric and then mulch. When I go to plant each rose, I can cut through the fabric to put it in, but having the fabric around the roses will dramatically help with weed control.

I have several roses I have acquired over the summer that will stay in grow bags for now until the ground is cool enough in October to plant them in the ground. They will also be watered via drip irrigation since roses hate to be wet as this can promote fungal growth, and they tend to need A LOT of water.

Check out Heirloom Roses if you want high quality roses that can be shipped directly to you. I have been very impressed with them!

What I am Planting for Fall and Winter

One of my goals this year is to create more space for cut flowers. My largest bed, which is 8×4 feet, will be the cut flower area. I have SO many flowers I am planning on, but they have to be started in the fall and winter to grow in the spring.

The rest of the beds will be a combination of fruit, vegetables, companion plants and wildflowers. Most of what I am planning below will grow through the fall and winter and end in spring, when I will be changing things out. Be sure to check out my next post and video on how I plan my yearly garden each August!

Well that is all! I hope this gives you some inspiration and things to think about if you are starting a garden or redoing yours. Once again, be sure to check out the accompanying YouTube video to get a closer look. Also, check out my blog post here on how to prep your vegetable beds for planting. There are some helpful tips!

Happy gardening y’all!

Dani