![Water droplets splash around a yellow and brown bird in a birdbath. Water droplets splash around a yellow and brown bird in a birdbath.](https://contentgrid.homedepot-static.com/hdus/en_US/DTCCOMNEW/Articles/how-to-garden-with-a-purpose-hero.jpg)
Support Pollinators
![A bee sits in the center of an aster. A bee sits in the center of an aster.](https://contentgrid.homedepot-static.com/hdus/en_US/DTCCOMNEW/Articles/how-to-garden-with-a-purpose-step-1.jpg)
As the gardening season winds down, pollinators continue into a final frenzy, seeking out nectar. That’s why it’s a great idea to keep nectar-filled plants in your garden or containers as long as possible.
Many bees work harder in fall to collect much-needed nectar to feed their colony through winter. Keep your planters fresh with late-season flowers and foliage that help bees get what they need to sustain them until the following season.
Pollinators will flock to perennial flowers including asters (shown above), coneflower, sedum ‘Autumn Joy,’ salvia and Russian sage. Chrysanthemums also attract pollinators. Choose a perennial variety so it returns again and again in your garden.
Pineapple sage is another pollinator magnet. This herb will attract hummingbirds, such as the ruby-throated variety. These hummingbirds like to fuel-up before migrating to south of the border between Mexico and Panama.
Plant a Grilling Garden
![Curly green herbs grow in a stainless steel bucket. Curly green herbs grow in a stainless steel bucket.](https://contentgrid.homedepot-static.com/hdus/en_US/DTCCOMNEW/Articles/how-to-garden-with-a-purpose-step-2.jpg)
To enhance meals outdoors, plants a grilling garden. Plant perennial herbs in your garden or containers with cookouts in mind. Choose herbs such as oregano, rosemary, thyme, lavender, chives and sage.
Don’t limit yourself to summertime barbecues. You could also grow herbs indoors in small containers placed by a window. Herbs featured in Thanksgiving and holiday menus can be kept in the kitchen and snipped as you need them. These herbs include such as rosemary, thyme, parsley and sage.
Build a Bird Haven
![A bird perches above a small plant in a flowerpot against a backdrop of green leaves. A bird perches above a small plant in a flowerpot against a backdrop of green leaves.](https://contentgrid.homedepot-static.com/hdus/en_US/DTCCOMNEW/Articles/how-to-garden-with-a-purpose-step-3.jpg)
If you want to attract birds and watch them live and play in your outdoor space, fall is a great time to set out food and supplies for the birds. Add birdhouses, feeders with seed and bird baths so birds who stick around in the winter will choose your backyard for their home.
Fall is also a good time to plant shrubs. They provide ample cover for birds. Birds enjoy berry-filled shrubs, such as winterberry holly, which keep them well-fed through winter months.
Establish a Wellness Garden
![A woman sits in a yoga pose on a mat on a patio decorated with potted plants. A woman sits in a yoga pose on a mat on a patio decorated with potted plants.](https://contentgrid.homedepot-static.com/hdus/en_US/DTCCOMNEW/Articles/how-to-garden-with-a-purpose-step-4.jpg)
If you’re looking for a little breathing room, a garden can provide it. You can easily create an oxygen-rich green space focused on unwinding. A wellness garden also makes a great place for meditation and yoga.
Indoor spaces can be filled with vines and plants that purify the air. Known as “green rooms,” these spaces can fill your home with fresh air and a sense of calm. You can create your wellness garden indoors with houseplants. Indoor plants that work well for green rooms include pothos, dracaena, peace lilies, dieffenbachia and Boston fern.
Learn ways to decorate your space with houseplants in mind. If you’re adding houseplants to a small space, check out additional options for your indoor garden.
Plan a Cut Flower Garden
![A woman holds a water can in one hand and reaches toward white flowers with the other. A woman holds a water can in one hand and reaches toward white flowers with the other.](https://contentgrid.homedepot-static.com/hdus/en_US/DTCCOMNEW/Articles/how-to-garden-with-a-purpose-step-5.jpg)
If you love freshly cut flowers in vases around your home, plan ahead for spring and summer blooms. The fall is the ideal time to plant flower seeds and flower bulbs for the following season.
Fall is a preferred time to plant seeds because it results in earlier blooms in spring. Bulbs planted in the fall will bring late-winter and early-spring flowers, including daffodils, tulips and hyacinths. Just think how many fresh-cut flowers you’ll have starting in late winter with your fall-planted bulbs. Learn more about planting spring-flowering bulbs.
There are many other good reasons to plant in fall, too. The weather is cooler and you can take your time planting. Just follow planting instructions on your seed or bulb packet. Be sure to plant before a freeze so your flowers have time to settle in for the winter. Then, add a slow-release bulb or flower fertilizer and a 2-inch to 3-inch layer of mulch around your garden so your garden, including newly planted seeds and bulbs, stays well-fed and insulated through winter.
When you focus on how to garden with a purpose, you can enrich your outdoor experiences. Focus on your goal as you make a plan and fulfill it. Whether you’ll be adding fresh herbs to recipes or filling vases with beautiful blooms, you can take pleasure in a job well done.
Looking for gardening tools, flower and herb seeds, birdfeeders and other supplies for gardening with a purpose? The Home Depot delivers online orders when and where you need them.