A roller-coaster ride temperature-wise; par for the ‘October’ course in the mid-south!
We’ve officially gotten through our first freeze of the season. From my prospective, it was a kind freeze. It was kind, because the weather has gently moved our plants towards dormancy. I am feeling grateful for that.
As you may recall, back in the fall of 2019, we had unseasonably warm temperatures into early November. We had temperatures in the low 90’s one week and our first freeze, (it was actually our first frost also) where the temperatures went to 17 degrees. Plants don’t like that. People who like plants don’t like that either. It killed many established plants, or at least, killed back, the top growth.
A kind freeze, combined with a bit of rainfall, really sets a positive tone for fall gardening. After a weekend warm-up, (we will approach 80 degrees) we have an excellent chance for additional precipitation early next week! Now that summer annuals are officially gone, it is time to get serious about fall color.
Pansy plants, and their diminutive cousins, violas, are certainly timely color plantings; but they’re not the only color of autumn. Conifers are the bearers of dormancy’s color cascade. Coniferous color intensely punctuates the garden. Gratefully, they do so with minimal effort!
I’m feeling a great sense of gratitude for the support you show for Bates Nursery. Because of you, we have been voted, “Best of Nashville”, for the nineteenth time. That is remarkable. You have also extended the honor by voting this newsletter, “In the Garden with Bates Nursery”, to a second place finish for a fourth consecutive year, for best local blog.
These honors you extend to us are made possible through the tireless efforts of the incredible individuals I am blessed to have in my employ at Bates Nursery. I’m just one guy; they do the literal heavy lifting. Without their daily commitment to horticultural excellence and customer service, what we are able to do, wouldn’t be possible. I ask that when you encounter them, thank them: they are Bates Nursery!
David Bates
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