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What Worked in Your Garden This Year? Take Notes Before You Forget
Oct
Fall is a great time to clean up the garden, but before you cut everything back and move on to winter, take a few minutes to look at what happened in your yard this year.
Which plants thrived? Which struggled? Where did you have great color — and where was something missing?
A few notes and photos now can make planning next year’s garden much easier.
Start With What Worked
Walk through your yard and identify the plants and areas you were happiest with.
Think about which perennials flowered especially well, which shrubs provided reliable color or structure, and which annuals or container combinations held up through the summer.
Also pay attention to plants that attracted butterflies, hummingbirds, and other wildlife.
Take a quick picture with your phone and make a note. You don’t need a formal garden journal. Even a simple album labeled “Garden Ideas for Next Year” can be extremely helpful when spring arrives.
Don’t Forget the Trouble Spots
The parts of the garden that disappointed you can tell you just as much.
Look for:
- Plants that struggled or failed to flower
- Areas with too much or too little sunlight
- Bare or overcrowded spaces
- Drainage problems
- Plants that grew larger than expected
- Insect or disease problems
- Times of year when the garden lacked color
You don’t necessarily need to solve everything now. The important thing is making a note while you still remember what happened.
Look for Gaps in the Seasons
Did your garden look great in spring but lose interest during summer? Did you have plenty of July color but very little happening by September?
Those seasonal gaps are worth noting.
Adding plants with different bloom times, colorful foliage, berries, ornamental grasses, interesting bark, or evergreen structure can help your landscape look better throughout more of the year.
Fall is also an excellent planting season for many trees, shrubs, and perennials. Cooler temperatures combined with warm soil give plants an opportunity to establish roots before winter.
Take Pictures Before Fall Cleanup
Before cutting plants back or removing annuals, take pictures of your beds, containers, and problem areas.
Those photos can help you remember plant placement, spacing, colors, and areas you’d like to improve.
Bring your photos to Wyman’s Garden Center and show the team what worked — and what didn’t. We can help you find plants and products that make sense for your particular conditions.
Make a Four-Part Garden List
Keep planning simple. On your phone or a piece of paper, make four categories:
Keep. Move. Replace. Add.
Maybe you want another hydrangea where one performed particularly well. Perhaps a perennial needs to be moved, a tired shrub needs replacing, or you’d like more pollinator plants, fall color, spring bulbs, or evergreen structure.
You’ll be surprised how useful that small list becomes next spring.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is fall a good time to plan next year’s garden?
Yes. Fall lets you evaluate your landscape while you can still see where plants grew, which areas received enough sun, where color was missing, and which plants performed particularly well.
Should I take garden photos before cutting plants back?
Yes. Photos provide an easy reference for plant locations, spacing, mature size, color combinations, and problem areas that can otherwise be difficult to remember several months later.
Can I still plant in the fall in Massachusetts?
Yes. Fall can be an excellent time to plant many trees, shrubs, and perennials in southeastern Massachusetts. Cooler air temperatures reduce stress while the soil often remains warm enough for roots to continue developing.
What should I do if a plant didn’t perform well this year?
First consider sunlight, moisture, soil conditions, spacing, and whether the plant was appropriate for the location. Before automatically replacing it with the same thing, talk with the Wyman’s team about alternatives that may be better suited to that particular spot.
What information should I bring to the garden center?
Photos are extremely helpful. If possible, also note approximately how much sunlight the area receives, whether the soil tends to stay wet or dry, and what you would like to accomplish — more color, privacy, pollinator activity, easier maintenance, or something else.
Turn This Year’s Lessons Into Next Year’s Garden
Your own backyard can be one of your best garden-planning tools.
Take a few pictures. Make a few notes. Start your Keep, Move, Replace, Add list.
Then visit Wyman’s Garden Center for help choosing the right plants and products to make next year’s garden even better.
And keep Wyman’s garden advice with you throughout the seasons. Download the Wyman’s Garden Center app for timely gardening tips, special offers, reminders, and store updates: