Fall Annuals Pre-Order -- Reserve great plants through August 25

It's time for our Fall Annuals "Pre-Order"

Thru August 25 at 7 p.m.

(mums, kale, cabbage,

and some great perennials as well)

for Fall Containers and Garden Beds

It's best to order early -- your plants will be reserved for you and arrive when you need them --

between August 29 and September 19

{Place your order by 7 p.m. Sunday, August 25}

Get the Best Selection +

Create Beautiful Fall Pots and Displays =

Pre-Order Plants Now!

We understand ... it's hard to think about ordering plants for fall when your summer plants look so lovely.

But thinking about your September plants now will make it sooo much easier to convert to fall when those summer plants fade.

You can order fall annuals now, pick the date you want them to arrive, and avoid racing into a big box or pricey retail shop to select from a bunch of picked-over plants, in between busy fall activities or kid drop-offs; on the one Saturday morning you have free; on the way home from work; or after a go-to-school night

Instead ... grab a tablet, phone or sit at the computer and casually look through our wide selection of sizes and colors of mums, kale, cabbage and other fantastic fall plants you can choose from....

And have everything you love for fall arrive right when your garden or containers need a refresh and you're ready to welcome the new season!

That's the premise of our Fall Annuals Pre-Sale. Choose now, and plants arrive between August 29 and September 19 -- you choose the date.

We love offering this opportunity to Plant Club members because many of the very best, favorite varieties of these beautiful plants will sell out to big landscapers for commercial or large residential installations, leaving nothing but slim pickings for the rest of us. Feel free to order some perennials as well!

Make your selections before Sunday, August 25 at 7 p.m. and you'll have your plants when you need them (by September 19th at the latest).

Order Here

How Does the Pre-Order Work?

We created the Pre-Order to offer Plant Club members flexibility during a busy time of year.

Here's how it works:

Browse available annual plants

You will see that you can select a date on which you'd like to have your plants arrive. This allows you to continue to savor your summer plants a bit longer, with the reassuring comfort that your favorite plants will come your way when it's time to replace them, for fall (like on September 12 or 19). Or, you can get them sooner -- on August 29.

If you're planning to be out of town for a weekend, don't worry -- you can select a date when you'll be in town to order your plants and they'll stay at the nursery where they'll be safe, and sound, and watered, until you're available to care for them.

So -- Make your choice!

Plants:

-- arrive by August 29; or

-- arrive by September 12; or

-- arrive by September 19

And then put the correctly dated plant in your cart and check out! It's that simple!

Reach out to us at help@northshoreplantclub.com if you have any questions.

What's Available in the Plant Club Pre-Order?

Fall annuals bring lots of color to your garden and provide a nice complement to perennials and shrubs already in place. By changing annuals with the seasons, you can create a new look and feel in the garden and keep it looking fresh.

Most gardeners recognize the importance of classic annuals like pansies in spring or geraniums and petunias in summer, which bring a wide range of colors to any garden.

But lots of people forget that fall also has many options for colorful annuals -- and many can be meshed right into your existing planters or beds, when summer annuals wind down and may look a bit "tired." Simply remove those summer annuals and in their place add some vibrant colors with these fall favorites, which come in sizes to fit every garden or container. Here are some favorites available to pre-order this week.

Mums

Chrysanthemums (commonly just called "mums,") are a popular late bloomer, and they come in many fall shades of red, yellow, pink, burgundy, lavender, orange, white, and bicolor. There are now hundreds of varieties, sizes, and shapes of garden mums.

Garden mums planted as fall annuals typically grow one to two feet tall and wide and fill in any garden with brilliant fall colors.

To extend the colorful show, purchase mums with lots of flower buds that have not yet opened. These plants are just coming into their prime display.

Blooms can last for many weeks, depending on light and water conditions. Mums like consistent moisture in which the soil stays moist, but not waterlogged. They have shallow roots and may need to be watered a few times each week, especially in warmer weather.

While mums will thrive in full sun, the heat and stress will shorten the blooms and they will fade a bit faster. With a bit of shade or indirect light the blooms will last longer.

Pinch off the flowers as they begin to fade. New blossoms will continue to form and provide color until freezing weather arrives.

Ornamental Cabbage and Kale

Ornamental cabbage and kale (also known as “flowering” cabbage and kale) are colorful additions to home gardens with their ruffled, multicolor leaves in large rosettes of white, pink, purple or red that tolerate cold weather quite well.

Ornamental kale is the term used for types with deeply cut, curly, frilly, or ruffled leaves.

Ornamental cabbage is the term used for types with broad, flat leaves that are edged in a contrasting color. Ornamental cabbages and kales are used primarily for their decorative qualities, or as a culinary garnish.

Plant these fall bloomers in late August and into September. They will last well into the cold weather, and a few frosts can even enhance their colorful pigmentations. This makes them great additions to outdoor flower beds and pots. Ornamental kale prefers moderately moist, rich soil in a sunny spot.

Ornamental Peppers

Ornamental peppers are a fun, colorful addition to garden beds and containers in the fall. These beauties come in vibrant shades of red, yellow, orange, and purple in a variety of shapes, and sizes and are intended for decorative use. These peppers produce the fruit on the top of the plant where you can see the colors, which adds a bit of fun and interest to the bed. They prefer full sun in moist, well-drained soil.

Annual Ornamental Grasses

Grasses are a great way to add texture and movement to your garden bed. While most ornamental grasses are perennials, a great annual ornamental grass is Purple Fountain Grass. This can be grown all season long or easily added to garden beds or containers in the fall. The burgundy-colored foliage, fuzzy blooms, and purplish seed heads are a perfect complement to other fall annuals.

Fall Annuals -- Pot Sizes and How to Choose

Pot Sizes -- What plant is best for what installation?

Choose the 4" size pots for window boxes or smaller containers/pots, or indoor decorations

Install 8" and #2 pots into larger containers or for massing in beds

Consider 12" or 1/2 bushel sizes for huge, statement planters at the front door or other significant locations

For example, our teammate Mary, who manages the Skokie/Evanston Plant Club, added an 8" potted mum and cabbage to her large summertime pot to instantly transform it to an early autumn display.

2 gallon mums and cabbage made an impressive display in front of this member's house.

This Club member opted for 12" pots of mums on her front porch.

2 gallon size mums were plenty big enough to fill these large planters on a back terrace for another Club member.

Order Here

Caring for Your Fall Garden

How do you spruce up your containers for a new season?

Plant Club members often remark that by the end of the summer, their containers don't look as great as they did mid-season. They wonder: do I have to start completely over now that summer is over and fall is coming?

Our garden coaches say don't toss the entire container! Instead, enhance your fading displays by maintaining the thrillers and spillers, and adding new fillers like mums, kale, and peppers. These can perk up a container without starting all over in terms of time and money. Grasses are another great addition to containers (especially if the larger, taller plant has faded). Depending on the grass you select, it can even be planted in your perennial garden before the ground freezes, maximizing your investment.

If You Need Garden Help, Just Ask Our Coaches

Email us at help@northshoreplantclub.com and we’ll work through situations by email or phone, or share the names of some great teammates who can efficiently and affordably help you plan a new area in your garden, or coach you on how to care for what you have. This kind of coaching is a great option for a new homeowner who inherited a garden but isn't quite sure what to do with it, or how to care for it! Fall is a great time to add perennials to your garden, so reach out and let our team help you grow a great garden.

If you need a little more help, we also can connect you with a garden coach who can come to help you with your yard or containers, on site, for an agreed upon fee. Our teammate, Teresa DalleValle, has helped over 300 Plant Club members. Just reach out and we'll make the connection for you.

Resources

Looking for a super quick way to see if North Shore Plant Club can get you a specific plant?

Look at our BIG LIST of plants. Everything we have available for this sale is right here. Just type the name of the plant you are trying to find in the search box and you'll immediately know if we have it or not -- and you can even sort by container size! (Remember, our inventory changes every week!)

This great BIG LIST is a super easy way to make our website of more than 1,000 plants seem very manageable.