Embracing the Beauty of Fall

Fall is truly my favorite time of year. Not only is it the season of my favorite holidays (and Tony’s and my birthdays) but the season brings an exquisite Autumn color palette featuring rich shades of burgundy, vibrant orange, earthy browns, and deep forest greens. As the days progress, the temperatures begin to cool, even if only by a few degrees, providing a refreshing change from the heat of summer. Additionally, the humidity gradually decreases, making time spent in the garden much more comfortable and enjoyable. I’m looking forward to the upcoming change of seasons and new year.

Recently, on Better Lawns and Gardens, I had the pleasure of speaking with Katie Dubow, President of the Garden Media Group. In September, the company marked an impressive milestone, celebrating 25 years of forecasting garden trends. Their ongoing research continues to shape the gardening world, and according to their latest findings, the prominent theme for 2026 will be “Lemonading.”

 Lemonading, the ability to reframe problems with creativity into ideas and solutions. This new phrase provides opportunities for people to enjoy life and stylize it to their own personality and needs. How does Katie and the Garden Media Group Dream Team think lemonading will shape gardening in 2026?  The company’s research shows that people will be:

• Looking for joy, relaxation, seeing their efforts make a difference, not only in gardening but in their world.

• More “kidulting” with new software, using games and technology from our youth (and adulthood) to relax but also to be a better gardener.  

• Setting yourself apart with collections, bento-style vignettes, especially rare and exotic plants, unusual pets, and re-shaping outdoor spaces.

• 2026’s Color of the Year: Faded Petal. A beautiful vintage soft pink color is muted by light ash. See their flower and shrub species recommendations you can add to your landscape to showcase this new color in the link below.

Katie and her all-female staff’s predictions make sense in today’s accelerating by-the-day-world. Each of the categories is explained in depth in the Annual Report.  It’s a fun read and I will be very interested to see how much is spot on target for our future. We’ll see.

The Garden Media Group’s Annual Report can be downloaded free here.

During our final Art in Bloom Garden Tour of the year, in the New York’s Hudson River Valley, participants experienced wonderful weather and vibrant floral displays while visiting distinguished estates and notable botanical garden exhibitions. At the New York Botanical Gardens, attendees viewed The Van Gogh Flower Show, which featured an impressive selection of sunflowers, artistically arranged frames and easels with real floral compositions, as well as landscape beds designed to evoke Van Gogh’s iconic floral paintings. Additional gardens included Stonecrop Gardens, Kykuit at the Rockefeller estate, and the Gothic Revival Lyndhurst Mansion.  

A serendipitous discovery at the Lyndhurst Mansion was that it was used as the exterior backdrop of the mansion for the 1960’s gothic “Dark Shadow” soap opera series. It was my favorite soap opera next to All My Children. The house’s interior was decorated for Halloween and so much fun to walk through. I appreciated that the home did allow for interior photographs.

Another of our garden tour stops, Wave Hill, a public garden that offers incredible views of the Hudson River and features a variety of themed gardens with creative beds, art work, and diverse plant combinations. The botanical garden includes numerous plant displays that are suitable for growing in Florida's climate. The Kate French Terrace garden beds showcase color schemes including jewel tones and soft grays, which are well suited for the fall season. I include my favorite in Teresa’s Landscape Design Tips. Does it work for you?

October marks the start of Fall gardening, so consider a soil test and fertilizing if it's been a while. Adjust soil amendments and pH as needed and consult planting guides for this month's What To Do In Your Landscape in October.

My Plant of the Month is a medium-sized shade shrub with evergreen leaves, fall and winter blooms, and no pest issues—an ideal choice for your garden.

In Lizzie’s Gardening Adventures, discover how her garden gives back and how she finally resolves turkey troubles. She rules her roost!

Horrific landscape malpractice has kept me awake for decades and is as scary today as ever. Just because “Halloween” season is approaching, doesn’t mean you have to create your own “Nightmare on Elm Street.”  Learn how to properly prune your landscape.  

Please comment below if you have any gardening questions or thoughts. I hope you enjoy the newsletter and are looking forward to the cooler temperatures and holiday season. I know I am.

“Love, exciting and new, come along, we welcome you.” Okay, so the theme song isn’t exactly about gardening, but if showcases my feeling. Welcome to all the new subscribers and listeners to my monthly newsletter, “In Your Backyard.” February is the time to gear up for gardening in Florida. It has definitely warmed up (thank you, La Niña), with new leaves pushing out and up, perennial flowers and shrubs available in the nurseries, and the urge to plant is in the air. Speaking of gardening and love, I want to send out love to all the garden clubs that I get to speak to. Talk about growing! Garden clubs are the place to be! Pictured above are one of the fun activities of holiday floral arrangements. The beautiful floral centerpieces were created by members of the New Smyrna Beach Garden Club for their February meeting. I mention garden clubs frequently in my talks and on my radio show, Better Lawns and Gardens, because garden clubs are so active, inside and outside, and welcoming. If you are new to Florida and interested in learning about gardening and learning about your landscape, join a local garden club! You can find a garden club near you on the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs website.

February is when showstopping pink Trumpet trees start to bloom. Appropriately named, the flowers of the Trumpet tree resemble the musical instruments. Fast-growing and relatively pest-free, Handroanthus impetiginosus, make a beautiful street tree. I think that a neighborhood of Trumpet trees would be a strong challenger of cherry blossom trees in Spring. Did you know that Trumpet trees, also called Ipê, Ironwood, and Brazilian walnut, is also one of the strongest and hardest woods on the globe. It is considered the best lumber to use for composite decking? Known for its fire, insect, and scratch resistance, Ipê decking is also cooler to bare feet. Ipê lumber sold in the United States is harvested legally and sustainably.

With the summer-like temperatures already upon us, you’ll love all the different flowers, herbs, trees, and vegetables you can plant in February. It’s also a short month to get those landscape chores done. Just a couple of quick tips: Don’t plant rye seed anymore – as the temperatures reach 80 degrees and above, it will quickly decline, and be leery of buying beautiful winter annuals blooming like delphiniums, foxgloves, and pansies. With the heat, if they last a month, you will be lucky. Read what you should do in February here.

Congratulations to Lizzie who has her hands full of love in this month’s adventure. You can read more to see her new bundles of joy.

My Plant of the Month is also one of my favorite tropical topics. It’s a low-maintenance, colorful plant that looks good in the ground, in the air, or as a thriller in your pool garden container. With over 2,700 species to choose from, it’s not hard to become addicted to collecting all the these beautiful varieties available in Florida.

Thinking of wearing white cottony outfits, summer trips to the beach, visiting coastal lighthouses, and promenade through beautiful gardens? Join me and other garden lovers as we tour the ‘Gilded Age’ vacation destination of the rich, Newport, Rhode Island. We will attend the premier Newport Flower Show at Rosecliff Mansion, stroll the coast on Narragansett Bay, take photos of yourself next to life-sized animal topiaries, and meander on the grounds of New England’s finest estate, Blithewold Mansion and Arboretum, where you can view Champion trees and Giant sequoias, relaxing with afternoon tea, and more. Only 6 more spots left. Dates are June 19th – June 23rd, 2025, 5 days, 4 nights. More Information.

Send me your garden questions and comments. Thank you for reading “In Your Backyard.” I love knowing you are out there!