October has been fantastic on the Prairies. According to The Weather Network, that is about to change. This week temperatures are dropping with days barely above freezing, nights below freezing and, yes, snow by the weekend. Last chance to get a few things done in comfort.

My Instagram is full of landscape design, gardening, houseplants and, well, animal rescues. I saw this piece last night from Shelmerdine’s, a locally-owned garden center in Winnipeg. I thought I’d share because it has a number of good points.

Now is the time to change over your tired or frosted summer containers. Harvest from your own yard or from nature walks. Fill them full! This container even has the fronds of a houseplant, a palm. The container and branches can be quite neutral; you can jazz it up with mini squash or wee witches on picks for Halloween, closer to Christmas add bright baubles and lights. Once the pot freezes, it will remain quite nice looking right past New Year’s. If it is in full sun you may see some browning, but you can cover that when seasonal evergreen boughs appear in garden centers in the next month.

Enjoy a fall walk through your garden and get ready for great containers all winter.