5. Establish a Cool-Season Vegetable Garden
Your vegetable garden does not have to shut down when the summer tomato harvest ends. In fact, many crops thrive in the cooler, crisper weather of autumn, which often coaxes out their sweetest flavors. Planting a fall vegetable garden is a rewarding way to keep your backyard productive, functional, and green well into the late autumn months.
Focus on leafy greens and root vegetables that tolerate light frosts. Kale, spinach, Swiss chard, and arugula grow rapidly in the cooler autumn soil, while root crops like carrots, radishes, beets, and turnips become sweeter as the temperatures drop. Brassicas such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage also flourish in the autumn air. To protect your crops from sudden hard freezes and extend your harvesting window, consider installing simple cold frames, row covers, or low tunnels over your raised beds.