Bria's Flowers

Seeing the color green can make people feel calmer and even lower blood pressure. Autumn fern and pachysandra are great evergreens in the south.

Brassicas are the star of winter beauty and fresh food. Cabbage, kale, brussels sprouts, broccoli, mustard, bok choy, collards...

Sage (salvia), and many herbs, are evergreen in much of the country. In North Texas and Georgia you can grow rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano, germander and lavender, among others all year round outside. Basil will not survive temperatures in the 40s. (This is one of my favorite subjects, so it may come up again.)

Saying goodbye to summer.

The fall is the best time to plant spring bulbs. Hardy bulbs like daffodils, iris, crocus, and grape hyacinth make for low maintenance, hardy blooms. It's time for tulip planting as well. I'm going to try some lily-cup tulips, which may make it through our mild winters. Tulips usually rot in the ground in the south, so are considered annuals.