Through a little bit of trial and error, I have found that a Fall Garden is one of my favorites. In fact, I actually prefer it to a summer garden - although I do love tomatoes and tomatillos and all those berries!

But a Fall (or cool season) Garden can be just as productive as a summer garden - and just as much fun! And you won’t have an overabundance of tomatoes and tomatillos to can. You also won’t have an overabundance of pests to deal with either. LOL

You will likely, however, need to take some precautions against the weather. Before the first hard frost (when temperatures dip below 28 degrees Fahrenheit for more than just a few hours), cover your Fall Garden plants using hoops and frost cloth. You’ll be creating a tunnel to help keep in the heat when the temperatures fall. The tunnel will work to prolong your fall gardening season by 4 to 6 weeks or longer.

Here are the 5 plants that will definitely have a place in my Fall Garden (in no particular order of preference).

#1 Broccoli

Our family loves roasted broccoli as a simple side dish. In my garden right now is Green Magic Broccoli, but I’ve got De Cicco Broccoli and Waltham 29 Broccoli seedlings that I’m wanting to get a little bigger before transplanting out. Green Magic is a hybrid variety of Broccoli that will mature in about 60 days. De Cicco Broccoli has a smaller head (about 3-6 inches in diameter) and may mature in as little as 50 days. Waltham 29 Broccoli is a drought tolerant variety that works well in fall gardens, but it will take about 74 days to mature.

Roasting Broccoli is super easy. Just cut the florets into bite sized pieces, toss with a little really good olive oil (I usually use Extra-virgin olive oil that’s been flavored with garlic or other herbs), some minced garlic, salt and pepper, then roast in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes until crisp-tender.

#2 Dinosaur Kale

I think Kale is one of those garden plants that you either love or you hate. It really has a distinct flavor. But it’s super nutritious and doesn’t mind the frost. In fact, the flavor of Kale will even improve after being frosted!

Once planted in the fall (and offered a little cold protection when needed), Kale will stay in your garden all year. My favorite is Dinosaur Kale - an heirloom variety that will mature in about 60 days. While Kale is best cooked during the summer months, during the fall and winter months, it’s really tender and best eaten raw in a salad.

And here’s the recipe for “The Kale Salad That Started It All”, courtesy of chef Joshua McFadden as printed in his first cookbook “Six Seasons”: 1 bunch of Dinosaur Kale, thick ribs cut out; 1/2 garlic clove (finely chopped); 1/4 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese; extra-virgin olive oil; juice of 1 lemon; 1/4 tsp dried Chile flakes; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; and 1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs. Stack several Kale leaves on top of one another, roll them up into a tight cylinder and slice crosswise into very thin ribbons (about 1/16 inch). Put the Kale in a salad spinner, rinse in cool water and spin until completely dry. Pile the Kale into a bowl. Put the chopped garlic on a cutting board and mince it even more until you have a paste. Transfer the garlic to a small bowl, add 1/4 cup Pecorino, some olive oil, the lemon juice, Chile flakes, 1/4 tsp salt and plenty of black pepper. Whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the Kale and toss well. Taste and adjust seasonings. Let the salad sit for about 5 minutes so the Kale slightly softens. Top with the breadcrumbs, more cheese and more olive oil.

#3 Arugula

Arugula absolutely loves cool weather. Which makes it the perfect Fall Garden plant! With its slightly peppery leaves, Arugula is a great addition to your fall salad. Arugula is open-pollinated - which means that the flowers are fertilized by bees, birds or even the wind and rain. There are 2 main types of open-pollinated Arugula: smooth leaved Italian and the finely toothed wild varieties.

The only Arugula I’ve grown so far is Rocket (Roquette) Arugula. It’s super crisp and just lightly peppery. And it’s the type that is most commonly found in the groceries. But it tastes soooo much better when you harvest it from your Fall Garden!

#4 Lettuces

Every Fall Garden should have some yummy Lettuces! Actually every GARDEN should contain some variety of Lettuces. And there’s so many to choose from like romaines, butterheads, looseleafs and and crispheads. Lettuces are one of the easiest crops to grow and can be harvested year round. Just choose cold-tolerant types for your Fall Garden.

A few of my favorites are Jericho Romaine, Red Winter (Rouge d’Hiver) Romaine and Buttercrunch. Jericho Romaine has really pretty light green heads and Red Winter Romaine has red and green leaves with deep red tips. Buttercrunch is a butterhead Bibb lettuce with dark green leaves and compact heads. You can mix these Lettuces together in your raised bed for a beautiful color palette and it will help reduce the risk of loss due to bolting or disease.

Here’s the recipe for my favorite Vinaigrette Salad Dressing: 1 large garlic clove (peeled); 1 tsp coarse salt; 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper (use white pepper if you have it); 1/2 tsp dry mustard; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 2 tbsp whipping cream; 2 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tbsp tarragon vinegar; 1 tsp fresh lemon juice and 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil. Mince together the garlic and salt until they almost form a paste. Transfer the garlic and salt to a mixing bowl and whisk in the pepper, mustards, cream and olive oil. Slowly add the vinegar and lemon juice, whisking constantly. Finally, slowly whisk in the vegetable or canola oil until it has all been absorbed. Makes about 1/2 cup.

#5 Spinach

Spinach is another Fall Garden plant that loves cool weather. It’s the perfect plant to grow from fall through spring and it’s so versatile! You can make a fresh salad, serve it sautéed and add it to soups. Spinach should be sown directly into your garden about 6 weeks before the first frost (although I haven’t yet made this date and still get gorgeous Spinach plants).

Long Standing Bloomsdale Spinach is probably the best known heirloom variety. It’s got really dark green leaves and a great flavor, and matures in about 42 days. Harvest leaves from the outside of the plant to the inside, and remember - the smaller leaves are the most tender!

Not To Be Forgotten . . . Garlic

You may have noticed that I didn’t include Garlic in my list of 5 plants. That’s not because Garlic doesn’t have a place in my fall garden - it definitely does! It’s because I’ve dedicated a whole raised bed to Garlic this season. You can read all about different Garlic varieties in this blog post - How to Choose Which Garlic to Plant. And you can check out my Garlic Guide in the KG Shop.

Also . . . There Will Be Flowers

Flowers in your Fall Garden will just make you smile. Mix them in among your other cool season plants for pops of color to break up all that green! Johnny Jump Ups (Violas) are smaller relatives of the Pansy and are perfect for adding to your raised beds. Their bright purple and yellow colors will make quite an impact! And guess what else - they’re edible!

Snap Dragons are another choice for adding fall and winter color to your garden. These flowers are usually sold as multi-color blends, but you can still find named varieties if you search. Even though Snap Dragons are perennials, they are most often grown as annuals - the second year of blooms just isn’t as vigorous.

Sweet William (Dianthus) is another flower variety that’s perfect for your Fall Garden. With bright pink, white or red blossoms, Sweet William will keep blooming even after a light frost.

Things You Might Like To Know

Most of my cool season plants I started indoors under grow lights from seeds purchased from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. The hoops and frost cloth I use are from Gardener’s Supply Company. You can find Joshua McFadden’s cookbook “Six Seasons” on Amazon. Finally, a super great resource for cool season gardening is “The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener” by Niki Jabbour also on Amazon.

By the way, I’m not getting paid to talk about either of these books. I actually use them regularly. But if you click through and take action, I’ll be compensated as an Amazon Affiliate.

Happy Gardening!

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