Autumn is a busy time of year; I think it's comparable to Spring. My garden days become filled with dividing, transplanting, and planting perennials, starting hardy annual seeds, prepping soil, and turning beds.

Hardy annual trial. Hardy annuals can survive colder temperatures. They won't flower until Spring but work on growing their root system during the winter. The farm row proved to be what I lacked in full sun space for annuals. The flowers took off, reaching heights and quantities I'd only dreamed of until now. So, I'm going all in with hardy annuals this year. I plan to grow ten types in the farm row for an early spring bounty this upcoming winter. As always, I can't help but feel I've started them a bit late, and I'm not ready to turn the entire farm row over just yet. Ideally, I would like to wait until after Halloween, but that could hurt my chances of success.

It is time to start a perennial garden. This year, I'm building a woodies bed up top; woodies are wooded perennial shrubs. I hope to get year-round interest and create an anchor in the bed viewable by my patio and kitchen window. Planning and imagining how it will look when the annuals are gone is challenging. I find myself designing as if the annuals will always be there, and I know they won't. This bed could look quite different based on the annuals I use next year. Of course, I've taken my plan to paper—er computer first.

I love how my bed up top performed this year; it is one of my favorite beds, with the mahogany splendor hibiscus as a backdrop to the self-seeding zinnias. I'm not sure what variety because my zinnias up top have been cross-pollinated. They are a bright Barbie pink that pops against the dark mahogany leaves and compliments the same bright pink crape myrtle along the fence line. It creates an "S" shape of color for your eyes to follow—an incredible design by Mother Nature.

Week 39 recap:

• Plant poppy and bells of Ireland seedlings.
• Plant oakleaf hydrangea, bloodtwig dogwood, and ninebark.

Plans for week 40:

• Vacation

Week 41 blooms:

• Amaranth
• Celosia
• Cosmos
• Crape Myrtle
• Dahlia
• Globe Amaranth
• Marigold
• Pampas Plums