The Autumn Garden:
END OF THE SEASON
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By Rohit Sareen, TEAC Volunteer
The days are rapidly getting shorter, the winterberry bushes are sporting their signature red berries and some trees have started shedding their leaves. The monarchs have already started migrating and the bees are desperate to get the last bit of nectar from the flowers in my garden.
Although it’s October and snow could be here in a few weeks, you wouldn’t know that by looking at the multiple species of goldenrod, asters, anise hyssop, ironweed and other late season flowers that are lighting up the landscape with purple and yellow flowers.
Beyond providing much needed color during the late season, these mostly perennial plants are very important for our pollinators. The flowers are an important source of nectar for late season pollinators, especially monarch butterflies as they stock up for their fall migration to Mexico.
In addition to butterflies, the plants are completely full of many different kinds of bees – in my garden I can easily count about a dozen different species of native bees as well as honey bees.
Whether it's monarchs about to migrate, hummingbirds heading south to the tropics for the winter, or bumblebees and honeybees gathering food reserves for winter, all of these species depend on flowers to keep them fed. This is the role late-blooming plants provide in nature.
In ornamental gardens, however, it's something that we gardeners need to make a conscious decision to provide.
The abundance of chrysanthemums in gardens around this time of year might make us think that the butterflies, birds, and bees will be taken care of. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
Most mums are bred to have extra petals but have little to no pollen or nectar, thus have no benefit for bees or other pollinators.
 It’s important that pollinator gardens include late season flowers like goldenrod, anise hyssop, ironweed and aster varieties, because collectively, our gardens can make a significant difference in replacing the native flowering plants that are lost when habitats are destroyed and supporting our insect populations.
The end of the season brings many emotions – I am sad that my pollinator garden is about to go dormant, but also excited for all the spring flowers that will be here in a few months (ok, it’s going to be a while but I like to stay positive). Although there is a tinge of sorrow to the end of a growing season, fall can also be a time of reflection, an opportunity to appreciate what nature and your hard work provided.
I am always glad to take out the jungle that are my cucumber and tomato plants at the end of the season and take a break from the physical labor of watering, weeding, tying, pruning, etc.
The break from the garden also provides an opportunity to plan for the next growing season. It’s a chance to miss our gardens and return to them with renewed energy in the spring.
In the meantime, remember to leave the seed heads and enjoy watching the yellow finches snack on them all winter long.
Pictured in my late season garden: Vernonia ‘Southern cross’ Ironweed, New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae), Showy Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa)
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