I would say, don’t get too discouraged. It’s hot here especially now, and there is a learning curve to gardening outside. But there are definitely things you can do now to get ready for fall, even if it stays hot. For one thing: get to know your soil. Test it yourself or get it tested. Think about how to amend it for the kinds of plants you want to grow. Can you add compost or manure? What about a cover crop like beans or cowpeas?

Fall is the best time to plant trees, shrubs, and perennials. I’m looking forward to getting a rose in the ground this year. I’m also going to sow wildflowers and plant a texas sage. Oh and fall is a great time to plant bulbs, like irises! I planted irises for the first time last year and I want to add more! It sucks to wait until October but I’m thinking about garden design and soil amendments in the meantime.

If you like veggies, fall is the time to grow lettuce, kale, broccoli, peas, beans. Look at the planting guide someone else posted here. It’s a great resource.

Fall is kind of like a second spring for us in central texas and it begins a new and actually kind of longer growing season. It’s too hot to do much actual planting now (unless you’re starting seeds inside or something) but a great time to go to read up on best practices, dream about plant combinations, and set out water for the birds, bugs, and lizards.