‘Leaf Me Alone’ – all about fall gardening
By MARY ELIADES
Voice correspondent
FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE OCT. 21, 2025, ISSUE OF THE HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE VOICE. REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION.
Fall is upon us and visions of pumpkins and apples and bonfires and football games come to mind, but what many people, especially in the Village, think of are LEAVES – leaves everywhere!
Hot Springs Village Audubon recently welcomed guest speaker Minnie Hahn, senior manager of design and display at Garvan Woodland Gardens, to talk about those – depending on how you look at it – pesky/welcome leaves and other fall gardening issues.
Hahn began her presentation with a summary on how to “fall into good habits”: leave it, test it, amend it, prune it, and plant it.
She listed many reasons to leave the leaves, or at least a thin cover, on lawns and gardens. Leaves left in place help reclaim nutrients, add organic matter, provide habitat for frogs, turtles, insects (helping winter birds, in the process), suppress weeds, act as mulch and compost, and reduce the carbon footprint.
Hahn also discussed the benefits of “cutting back on cutting back” – perennial stems left in place provide habitat for bees (e.g., goldenrod stems), seed heads provide food for birds, and the best plant reproduction occurs through seed heads falling and germinating. She added that spring cutbacks are better, because of the insulation the plant materials provide during harsh winter weather.
For fall/winter pruning, gardeners should wait until after the first frost, when leaves have fallen and it’s “easier to see the structure of deciduous trees and shrubs,” although certain shrubs can be pruned in the fall (Knock Out roses, panicle hydrangeas, gardenias, butterfly bushes, and a few others). Hahn added, as an aside, that butterfly bushes are now considered invasive plants – they “out-compete” the native specimens.
Hahn said fall is a good time to test the soil in gardens and lawns and added that soil testing is available – free of charge – through the University of Arkansas Agricultural Extension department. She said extension agents also love to make field trips and are happy to come out and give advice.
Garvan Gardens is known for its beautiful tulip gardens – 150,000 bulbs are planted every year – and Hahn talked extensively about bulb planting. Not all bulbs need to be chilled before planting – for example, amaryllis, paperwhite, ranunculus, anemones, and allium – but tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, crocus, muscari, and snowdrop need to be chilled from 12 to 16 weeks, including in the ground. Hahn said without the chilling period, tulips will have stunted stems. The bulbs should be chilled at temperatures between 35 and 40 F and not allowed to freeze.
Hahn described the process of storing and preparing bulbs for planting: After removing bulbs from the soil and brushing the dirt off, they should be allowed to dry for about a week in a “dry space with good air flow,” then packed in sawdust, peat moss, or shredded paper, and stored in a warm, dry location (such as a garage).
Bulbs should not be stored next to fruits or vegetables, because the ethylene gas emitted during the ripening process destroys the flower bud.
Some “tender” annuals, such as caladiums, can be potted and kept as houseplants during the colder months and lightly watered once a month. She added that caladiums should be planted with the “eye” facing up.
Hahn showed photos of healthy and unhealthy bulbs; the healthy bulbs retained their “jackets,” while the unhealthy ones had evidence of mold and spongy areas.
The bulbs are ready for planting when temperatures reach 65.
The bulbs should be planted at a depth of three times the height of the bulb and can be “lasagna layered” – larger bulbs in the bottom layer, smaller ones on top. Hahn said the bulbs can be freeze-damaged if planted too shallowly (which happened at Garvan Gardens, requiring replanting in some areas).
The Village is in Zone 8, and Hahn said the tulips here are annuals – that is, they must be replanted every year (150,000 bulbs!). Fertilizer can be applied after the foliage emerges.
Hahn also had some advice about selecting trees and shrubs for fall colors: “Go to the nursery when the plants are in color to make your selection,” she said, because the genetic variations are not always apparent beforehand (no matter what the little tags say).
Hahn showed examples of beautiful fall trees in different colors and discussed the scientific explanations for the various shades. Her prediction for fall 2025 in the Village: “fantastic foliage,” she said. All the factors have been in place – a rainy spring, a sunny summer, no early freeze, dry, cool nights and warm, sunny days. No heavy rains or strong winds have occurred – yet – to knock the leaves off.
Hahn went on to discuss the benefits of ornamental grasses: They “add texture and structure in winter perennial gardens,” they have a relaxing sound, they generally require little maintenance or water, and the seeds feed local wildlife. She recommended cutting grasses back in mid-February before new growth begins (while making sure to wear protective clothing) and said hedge trimmers or even a small chainsaw can be used for the larger grasses.
Hahn ended her talk by discussing how to make dried plant arrangements. The plants should be air-dried by hanging upside-down in a cool, dry, dark area with good air circulation (for two or three weeks), or can be dried using silica gel to help preserve color. Hairspray can be used to preserve the arrangement.
Hahn finished her presentation with a hilarious cautionary tale. She was working with dried plants and spotted a large wolf spider on her kitchen counter, which quickly made his way up her arm. She gently brushed it off, but he wasn’t having it – he kept coming for her and chasing her around the kitchen. He was finally captured and relocated, but the moral of the story was clear: Watch out for spiders in dried plants.
HSV Audubon is preparing for the annual Christmas Bird Count, the longest-running (125 years) citizen science project in the United States. The program runs from Dec. 14 to Jan. 5 and will take place in Hot Springs Village on Dec. 15. HSV Audubon will establish teams, led by expert birders, to cover areas in and around the Village. To sign up, visit the website at hsvbirds.org.