Today, D.C. officially said goodbye to summer. There are many reasons to rejoice, like the end of high temperatures and dreadful humidity, but there’s one reason you may only know if you have a green thumb: The beginning of fall is a great time to start a garden.
When it comes to flowers and shrubs, you can grow “pretty much anything,” says Will Coleburn, the design and sourcing lead of Swamp Rose Co-op, a local native plant nursery and landscaping company. Watering needs are more tame since it’s not as hot, it’s far more pleasant to work outside, and the plants you put into the ground today will be ready to sprout up in the spring, giving your garden a more efficient growing season.
Coleburn recommends you start by observing the conditions of your gardening site. The most basic factors to consider are sun and moisture. Does the land get a lot of sun, or is mostly covered in shade? And does the soil feel wet, or is it dry? Understanding the conditions “will help you narrow in on a palette of plants that will do well for you,” says Coleburn.
With that information, you can head over to a local plant nursery like Ginkgo Gardens, Frager's Garden Center, and Swamp Rose to get recommendations.
For first-time autumn gardeners, Swamp Rose’s ecological landscaping lead Jeff Stottlemyer recommends golden groundsel, a plant with bright yellow flowers and the ability to weather tough conditions. It blooms early in the spring, which means you can enjoy it sooner. There’s also woodland phlox, which Stottlemyer says is another early spring bloomer that prefers shady spots.
For more instant gratification, you can plant something that’s already in bloom like asters and goldenrods — both of which grow bright, colorful flowers. An added bonus: All of these are perennial plants native to the D.C. area, making them great additions to the local ecosystem.
If you want to grow food, your choices are more limited in the fall — but you still have options. Carrie Vaughn, farm director at D.C. nonprofit Building Bridges Across the River, recommends planting leafy greens such as lettuce, spinach, radishes, turnips, collards, and kale, plus herbs like dill and cilantro.
Other plants like tomatoes or eggplants “don't do as well in those really low-light conditions” during the fall, says Vaughn, because they require much more time photosynthesizing to make their fruit. (Yes, eggplant is technically a fruit.)
When it comes to choosing a good spot, Vaughn says pick a side of your yard that’s facing the south — that’s where your crops will get the most amount of sun. And if you want your plants to survive colder weather, planting near your home can offer a source of heat, protecting produce from chillier temperatures.
But don’t forget to check the soil first. “Most plants prefer well-drained soil,” says Vaughn. “So don't pick the spot that's squishy-wet all the time when you walk through it.”
If you already have a garden and your summer crops are looking a little sad, it’s time to pull them from the ground. “They're done for the season ... this is your last chance to plant something to fill that space,” Vaughn says. You can put down plants like cilantro or spinach, which you can continue to pick in the winter.
Vaughn also typically uses this time to put add a layer of mulch, like dead grass and leaves, to her garden. “The soil is full of all these living things,” she says, like beetles, fungi, earthworms, and bacteria that’s good for plants. “If you put a little blanket on the soil, then they're a little bit more protected and they'll come alive a little quicker in the spring.”
If you have limited space, there are urban gardens around the city where you can get a plot. The Department of Parks and Recreation has a non-exhaustive list of community gardens across all eight wards — though be warned that many have a waitlist.
While you’re waiting, you can introduce yourself to the people managing your local community garden and learn through volunteering. The Farm at Kelly Miller in Ward 7 has weekly garden workdays, where people can weed, water plants, harvest produce, and move compost. In Ward 5, the Capital Area Food Bank runs an urban demonstration farm that hosts volunteer days and gardening workshops. And DPR manages a few communal farms across several wards that people can volunteer with from now through November.
If you take all this advice and still find dead plants in your garden this fall, it doesn't mean you're not cut out to garden. All plants die — sometimes they just die quicker than you planned. Groups like the DC Urban Gardener (DUG) Network, which has an extensive list of resources on urban agriculture in the District, can help you navigate the ins and outs (and the highs and lows) of gardening.
“There's nothing wrong with you if you planted something and then your plant died,” says Vaughn. Her advice for moving forward is simple: “Just try again.”
Sam is a reporter with The 51st. She was a multimedia freelance journalist for a year before joining the team. Prior to that, she worked at Vox and More Perfect Union. Sam has covered a wide range of issues, from invasive vines to vaccines.
With your help, we pursue stories that hold leaders to account, demystify opaque city and civic processes, and celebrate the idiosyncrasies that make us proud to call D.C. home. Put simply, our mission is to make it easier — and more fun — to live in the District. Our members help keep local news free and independent for all:
