CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As temperatures slowly trend cooler than average, you can still hang on to your green thumb when it comes to sprucing up your curb appeal this season.
Just because autumn is here, you don’t have to wait until spring for a pop of color in your yard. Local greenhouses in the Charlotte area are seeing a lot of foot traffic from seasoned and first-time plant parents. Most people are looking for some color to brighten up their yard even after temperatures drop and most shrubs are reduced to sticks.
“Pansies, violas…People want color," Julie with Oakdale Greenhouses said. "Low to the ground, they stay all through the winter."
A pop of color can last all year if you pick the right type of plant. Azaleas, butterfly bushes, camellias are go-to year-round blooms.
“Encores especially will bloom spring, summer, fall.” So you have three times a year,” Julie said.
Julie with Oakdale Greenhouses says do your fall planting soon to be safe. On average, the first hard freeze is Nov. 8. The earliest was Oct. 8, 2000, and the latest first freeze was in December of 1978.
“You want to get the plant in the ground, get the root and get it all established before the real cold comes,” Julie said.
Julie said she encourages people to enter the greenhouse with an open mind and to come with questions to ensure they select the perfect plant.
If you don’t have a green thumb, check out the label when you buy your plants for expert advice. Most importantly, look for how much sunlight and water are needed.