Bulbs, especially, need to be planted at this time of year to ensure a hearty spring bloom. Visit garden stores to find dozens of varieties of things like daffodils, tulips, and even hyacinths and lily's. Consider color, and choose flowers that will compliment, and contrast, each other. For example, reds and pinks can look divine together, as long as there are a variety of shades of each, with perhaps a few darker colors, like purple, or even light colors like cream and white, for contrast. On the other hand, purple and yellow are contrasting colors, and a mix of shades of each in one bed can provide a striking affect. Flowers are especially gorgeous lining a walkway or accenting the front of the house in long, winding beds, or clustered together at key focal points. Things like Calla lily's look best together in large bunches. And the nice thing about bulbs is, once they're in, they are a low maintenance flower that blooms faithfully every year.



If you are considering a spring home sale, planting bulbs now will give your home added charm when it goes on the market.

Pruning is another important job that needs to be done in winter, when the sap isn't flowing through the branches of most trees and shrubs. Consider shaping hedges to accentuate your landscaping efforts. Do you want boxy right angles, or billowing curve shaped shrubs?

It is also important to cut the spring and summer growth of fruit trees. These "suckers" as they are often called, drain energy from the central trunk, making the trees crowded and bare less fruit. Removing them assures a tidy tree and the best fruit production.

Flowering shrubs will probably have dead flowers or dried seed heads hanging off them at this time of year. "Dead-heading" or removing all the dead plant matter from the ends of your flowering shrubs will make them look a lot nicer, and make room for new growth in the spring.

Finally, fertilizing and mulching is a good idea at this time of year. A high quality fertilizer, followed by a thick bark or other mulch, will ensure an easy spring.

So happy fall and winter gardening, and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that good landscaping is increasing your home's value.