Today I will address some of the common calls we have been receiving about how to turn productive spring and summer planting areas into good fall and winter areas. So here are some suggestions for both your flowerbeds and vegetable gardens.

Q: What are some good, cool season flowers?

A: Many of us are guilty of having beautiful spring and summer landscapes and then taking a gardener’s sabbatical during the colder months. This does not have to be the case unless you want it to be!

I have had a few calls from people saying there is nothing to grow during the cold season. One of the most popular plants to add color, and one that copes well with our winter, is pansies. With over 180 varieties to choose from, the pansy sits on the throne as the most popular fall and winter flower. Like most flowers the key to success lies in bed preparation. Heavy soils are not desired by pansies, therefore amending the planting area is one of the best ways to have success over these conditions. Incorporating a 3-4 inch layer of organic matter such as fine pine bark, manure, compost, peat moss or sand provides organic matter and allows the bed to be built up and provides excellent drainage.

Pansies are heavy feeders. Feed with a light application of slow-release fertilizer monthly or a diluted, water-soluble 20-20-20 every other week. A good planting choice may be to try planting red tulips with blue and white pansies or yellow tulip varieties with their complementary violet-colored pansy for a great, cool season landscape.

Other good cool-season annuals to plant in October include Shirley poppies, forget-me-nots (myosotis) bachelor’s buttons, larkspurs, and Johnny-jump-ups. If you are planting spring bulbs this fall (narcissus, hyacinths, crocus, etc.), it is a great idea to sow some of the cool season annuals in the same bed with the bulbs.

Q: What are some good vegetables to plant for produce in the winter?

A: Greens can be planted from September through March in beds prepared as for peas. Peas perform best in well-drained soils with a pH of at least 6.2. However, do not work soil that is wet and saturated, if water comes out of a squeezed handful of soil, the ground is too wet to work. When you work soggy wet soil, you crush the macro-pores, which are where most of the air and water movement in soil takes place. When this soil dries, it forms clods that don’t accept water and inhibit root penetration.

Choices for peas include the English pea, which is the traditional garden pea; the flat snow peas, which are common in Chinese cooking; and the sugar snap pea, which resembles the green bean with a thick, fleshy pod and no seeds. Peas must be harvested on time to ensure best flavor and quality.

Harvest peas in March before temperatures reach 80 degrees. Peas can tolerate temperatures into the low 20s, but when the weather is colder than that, cover with a blanket.

David Carter is the director of the Adams County Extensions Service. He can be reached at 601-445-8201.