Fall Planting Guide: Growing in the Desert with a Little Help from Growing in the Garden & Garden In Minutes®

Cooler mornings, softer light — the perfect time to dig back into the soil.

Fall in the desert has its own rhythm. The air softens, the sun dips a little lower, and everything feels ready for a fresh start — including my garden beds.

While most gardeners across the country are putting theirs to sleep, here in the Southwest we’re just getting started.

This year, I’ve been leaning on two of my favorite garden resources — Growing in the Garden and Garden In Minutes® — to help me make the most of my fall planting season.

🌵 Learning from Growing in the Garden

A little planning goes a long way — my trusty Growing in the Garden planner keeps me on track.

If you garden in the desert, chances are you already know Angela Judd of Growing in the Garden. She’s a Master Gardener thriving in Zone 9b, one of the most challenging regions to grow in — and somehow, she makes it look easy.

Angela’s website is a goldmine of resources, from seasonal planting guides to zone-specific calendars. Her Month-by-Month Garden Planner & Journal has become a staple in my routine, especially during the busy transition between summer heat and fall growth.

She also teaches free classes at the Mesa Public Library, paid workshops at the Arizona Worm Farm, and offers a Growing in the Garden Academy for those who want a deeper dive.

And if you prefer to learn visually, her YouTube channel posts new videos weekly with practical tips for every level of gardener.

On quiet mornings, I take my coffee outside, open Angela’s planner, and map out what’s going in each square foot of my raised beds.

October is for planting, planning, and letting the worms do their work.

Angela’s month-by-month guides are my constant companions during each new planting season.

🪴 Simplifying Gardening with Garden In Minutes®

Square-foot gardening and watering grids — my secret to thriving plants in dry conditions.

Desert gardening is all about balance — keeping plants hydrated without over-watering. I’ve found my sweet spot with Garden In Minutes®, whose watering grids and raised gardening beds make gardening surprisingly simple.

Each of my two raised beds (4 ft × 8 ft × 17 in) holds about a cubic yard of soil and is topped with a couple of inches of mulch from the Arizona Worm Farm to help retain moisture.

The Garden In Minutes® grids are connected to my irrigation system, so each plant gets exactly what it needs.

Square-foot gardening is amazing, it saves space, reduces weeds, and keeps the beds tidy — no wasted water or soil.

🪱 My Fall Gardening Routine

Each bed in my garden has its own in-bed compost bin and about 300 red wiggler worms. This process — called vermicomposting — turns kitchen scraps into nutrient-rich worm castings that feed the soil naturally.

I use the soil and mulch from the Arizona Worm Farm exclusively; it’s living soil that keeps rewarding me season after season. Before every planting, I rotate crops to promote soil health and reduce pests.

When I plan my layout, I follow the “rule of three”:one herb, one flower, one vegetable per section.It keeps everything balanced — herbs deter pests, flowers attract pollinators, and vegetables thrive in the harmony of it all.

And because I’m a planner at heart, I sketch everything out in my laminated Growing in the Garden planner. I place climbing plants toward the back near a trellis, and vining crops near the edges where they can sprawl freely.

🌸 A Few Special Touches

Ranunculus corms soaking before they find their cozy spot in the garden beds.

Some of my fall plantings start with small rituals — like soaking ranunculus corms for a few hours before planting. It’s a little thing that helps ensure strong blooms later on.

Snapdragons adding a cheerful pop of color to my fall patio.

Elsewhere, containers of snapdragons and zinnias bring instant color and help lure pollinators to the veggie beds. Also, a mix of color and produce — zinnias meet okra in a happy garden partnership.

Zinnias growing beside okra

🥬 What’s Growing in My Fall Garden

Fall in the desert is my reset season. It’s when I swap out the tired summer peppers for cool-weather greens and let the worms get back to work under the surface. Here’s what’s thriving in my garden right now:

• Basil (Tower & Thai)

• Bibb & Romaine Lettuce

• Broccoli

• Celery

• Celosia

• Jalapeños & Red Bell Peppers

• Kale

• Marigolds

• Mint

• Oregano (Italian & Greek)

• Ranunculus Corms (soaked 3–4 hours before planting)

• Swiss Chard

• Tomatoes

• Yardlong Beans

Just me, the worms, and a little sunshine — the perfect kind of therapy.

🌿 The Herbs That Steal the Show

Basil (Tower & Thai) — Basil grows beautifully through our warm fall days. I love clipping handfuls for fresh pasta, or tossing the Thai variety into coconut curry. The bees love it too, which makes it a must-plant for pollination.

Mint — A little wild and a little unpredictable, mint reminds me that not everything needs to be perfectly contained. I keep mine in its own section to stop it from spreading too far — and I always have plenty on hand for tea or mojitos.

Oregano (Italian & Greek) — Both varieties bring a deep, earthy flavor to soups and sauces, and they thrive with very little fuss. I think of oregano as the steady friend who keeps the garden grounded.

🥕 Cool-Season Veggies & Crisp Greens

Bibb & Romaine Lettuce — Quick to sprout and tender as can be, these lettuces are the workhorses of my fall garden. With just a little shade, they stay crisp and sweet.

Broccoli — A bit more patient to grow, but worth every bite when the heads finally form. I plant it near marigolds to keep pests at bay.

Celery — Slower and thirstier than most, but it loves the cooler mornings and adds the perfect crunch to fall soups.

Kale — Always the first to show off when the temperatures drop. I love watching those curly leaves catch the morning light — and they taste even better after the first cool snap.

Swiss Chard — With its rainbow stems, this one’s both beauty and bounty. It grows fast, keeps giving, and makes a colorful addition to my garden salads.

🌸 Blooms that Bring the Bees (and Joy)

Celosia & Marigolds — These flowers do more than decorate. They help repel pests, attract pollinators, and brighten up the raised beds with fiery color. I like to think of them as the garden’s cheerleaders.

Ranunculus Corms — This year I added a tray of ranunculus — soaked for a few hours before planting. They’ll stay quiet for now but reward me with delicate, rose-like blooms come spring.

🌶 A Few Spicy Favorites

Jalapeños & Red Bell Peppers — The last of the summer sun helps these peppers finish strong. They bring a little heat to my harvest basket — and a splash of red and green that looks straight out of a holiday photo.

🍅 The Reliable Standbys

Tomatoes — I know, I know — most people think tomato season ends with summer, but in Zone 9b, fall can still bring a late flush of fruit if you start early enough. I tuck mine along the trellis line so they get morning sun and afternoon shade.

Yardlong Beans — These climbers are one of my favorite space-savers. They twine gracefully up the back trellis and keep producing long after most beans have given up.

Proof that patience pays off — the first okra harvest of the season.

🌳 A Little Extra Sunshine

I also tend a small lime tree that fruits almost year-round. Its glossy leaves and bursts of green add brightness to the space — a little reminder that life finds its way even in tough soil.

The lime tree never fails to remind me — the desert truly can thrive.

🌼 Final Thoughts

Gardening in the desert may be different, but it’s far from impossible. With the right soil, the right tools, and a bit of guidance from Growing in the Garden and Garden In Minutes®, your fall garden can be lush, colorful, and deeply rewarding.

So grab your gloves, make a plan, and let the worms do their work — because fall is where the desert garden truly begins to shine.