Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower.

Hello, again!

There’s nothing like fall for color in the landscape. Angie and I recently made a trip to Colorado and New Mexico for a fall getaway to visit the Southwest and good friends. While not really planning the trip around the fall color, we were fortunate to be in the area during the peak of the fall foliage color of aspens, cottonwoods, and willows against the clear blue skies and dark green hues of junipers and pinon pine. With warmer than normal temperatures, it was perfect timing to enjoy the outdoors.

I’m always reminded about how fall foliage color comes to be each fall as the season changes. With cooler temperatures and shorter day length, plants are not producing chlorophyll which gives us the green color we see in summer leaves. With little chlorophyll in the leaves, we are able to see and enjoy the colors of any other pigments that may be present in the leaves.

If you are wanting to have more color in your garden in the fall, come check out our new nursery plants. We have viburnums, nandina, hydrangea, sumac, spirea and many other plants that have great fall color. As our seasons change, it gives us an opportunity to make sure our landscapes are optimized for the next season of color. It’s not only time to plant our homegrown pansies for fall color, but also to add evergreens to our containers and landscapes for color all winter long - through the holiday season and into spring. With our pansies and nursery plants specially priced, it’s the ideal time to plant!!

Fall really is a great time to plant trees and shrubs in the landscape. Fall planting provides two seasons for plants to get established before a hot Kansas summer. Let us help you in selecting and planting the ideal tree for your landscape. Our professional crew will help select, deliver and plant your trees, using proper techniques and soil amendments. Simply choose your tree of choice at one of our stores, purchase our tree planting service, and our staff will give you a flag to place where you want your tree planted. We handle everything else. Planting services include notifying Kansas Dig Safe before digging, adding Cotton Burr Compost, applying MYKE Mycorrhizae (if purchased), staking when needed, adding our Grade-A All Bark Cedar Mulch, and site clean up. Johnson’s will also help you keep your tree healthy by providing you with easy-to-follow, written tree care instructions. If you want to plant your tree or shrub yourself, we have written instructions on our website as well!

I hope you’re enjoying fall as much as I am - especially with the rainfall we’re experiencing! See you soon.

Your friend in the garden,

Marty Johnson
Owner - Johnson's Garden Center