Lists
Now is a good time to make lists of plants that you love.
My first draft of a list included non-native plants so that I could look for natives with similar structure and color. I also considered things I didn’t the first time we planned gardens at our home, like where the snow falls from the eaves in a big storm is not a good place for a structural plant or evergreen that will get crushed (like boxwood).
Great sources of lists of native plants with pictures and descriptions of the conditions which they need to grow are The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (of which we are an affiliate, and the Missouri Botanical Garden.
It is also a great time to visit friend’s gardens and public gardens to see fall foliage. My Asters, Autumn Bride, and Liatrus are beautiful now.
This is a picture of Asters in my garden with a planted lady butterfly this morning.