Leaves will be starting to fall soon but there are still plenty of native plants that will bloom in local gardens.
"This is the perfect time to plant perennials, trees and shrubs," Susan Hyland, Master Gardener coordinator with the Penn State Cooperative Extension, said Thursday. "The reason you plant these things early in the fall is because we have another six-plus weeks of warm soil temperatures."
Perennial plants last through many growing seasons using the same root system. Most perennials keep their leaves year round. Types vary from flowers, like coneflowers and goldenrods, to woody plants and trees, like maple and pine.
Planting perennials now will give them a strong root system to endure the winter months, Hyland said.
"Perennials is typically what people should be looking to get this time of year," Hyland said. "You have to give them a good start. They need that time to grow now to be strong for spring."
Mums are also popular sellers this time of year, Hyland said.
"We all like to look at those because of the bright and vivid color," she said.
Other popular flowers available this time of year include asters, goldenrods, Russian sage and lavenders.
Fall plants are available at nurseries and many local stores in the area. Neighbors may also be looking to pass on perennials as their roots should be divided this time of year, Hyland said.
"Plants benefit from dividing their roots and these are plants with roots that endure over winter and by the time they are in the ground, that root has gotten so large and crowded under the soil the plant is no longer as vigorous as before," she said.
The Penn State Master Gardeners showcase many popular plants for fall at the Gardener Selects Trail and Demonstration Garden located on the property of First United Church of Christ, 110 Route 61, Schuylkill Haven.
"If someone is looking for a late summer bloomer, they should go there to take a look," Hyland said. "It's not like looking in a catalog. These plants have been in our environment for several years and you can take a look and see how they matured and their requirements."
The garden is open to the public from dawn until dusk.
"We encourage homeowners to invest in native plants," Hyland said.
Native plants have been acclimated to the local climate and soil and only require minimum care once they become established in the environment, she said.
"They have developed alongside all the other plants here so they are not struggling with them and they work in tandem," Hyland said.
Native plants are also preferred by local fauna, from mammals and birds to pollinators, she said.
Honey bee populations have been vanishing the last couple years. While various factors can be attributed to their disappearance, Hyland said adding to their habitat will help restore populations.
"The habitat that they prefer to go to has been destroyed. This is a way for a homeowner to help out, since it provides the preferred food source to pollinators," she said.
The Penn State Extension in Carbon County will be hosting a pollinator garden open house from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the organization's building, 529 Lentz Trail, Jim Thorpe.
For more information, call the Carbon County Extension at 570-325-2788.
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary will be selling native fall plants from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The sale coincides with Monarch Migration Day on Saturday. Both days will also have free live raptor programs at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
"Lots of people want to keep the garden going well into autumn and our sale is a great way to help local gardeners introduce plants that benefit wildlife and keep visual interest throughout the year," sanctuary President Jerry Regan said in a press release. "The sale is also a great excuse to get outside and walk to the lookout during the migration season. I hope some of our local gardeners become hawk watchers, too."
Native plant species available for sale on both days will include asters, goldenrods, milkweed, coneflowers, brown-eyed Susans and a selection of vines, grasses, ferns, trees and shrubs. The sale is free and open to the public but a trail fee applies for those who wish to visit scenic overlooks.
Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve will also have an Invasive Plant Workshop from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday. The program has a $35 fee for non-members and requires advanced registration by calling 610-756-6961.
For more information, please call Hawk Mountain at 610-756-6961 or visit www.hawkmountain.org.