Fashionably Late: The Fall Garden

Photo Courtesty of NRCS Photo Gallery

Fashionably Late: The Fall Garden

Many gardeners often over look the possibilities that fall offers. In the race to grow the best roses, the finest delphiniums and the like, we often make the mistake of focusing on spring and summer in the perennial border while overlooking the fall garden except to toss-in a few mums and asters. Fall offers a wide-range of perennials, bulbs, and other plants that can help bring the garden into its grand finale for the season.

Many of fall's flowers and plants are carry-overs from the late summer border. Coneflowers, rudebeckias, and other plants will bloom into the fall if kept watered and deadheaded. Other flowers really hit their stride in the fall, such as mums, asters, and toadlilies. There is a wealth of planting material to choose from, so let's discover plants and flowers that can help to make the perennial border shine in the fall:

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Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium):   Great for late summer to early fall "wet spots", Joe Pye Weed is a tall, easy-to-grow late summer into early fall bloomer. With its white, blue or purple whorled flowers, this plant makes a fine background flower in the fall border. Hardy in our climate, Joe Pye Weed will add a wonderful tall accent to the fall garden.

Bugbane (Cimicifuga):  Depending upon variety, this plant can bloom into the fall months. Cimicifuga ramosa 'Atropurpurea' has dark reddish-green foliage, as its name suggests. Bugbane does well in semi-shade to full shade, if kept moist. It also sports lovely racemes of white flowers and can grow to imposing height. Cimicifuga will grow taller in shadier conditions than in the sun. Height can range from 3 to 7 feet.

Goldenrod (Solidago):  Suffering from a case of bad press, goldenrod is not responsible for the plight of hayfever sufferers. Perhaps it is because it blooms at the same time as ragweed that many gardeners erroneously shy away from growing this sunny and beautiful plant. While many of fall's flowers resemble the daisy in form, goldenrod has lovely sprays of individual yellow flowers, with colors ranging from lemony yellow to deep buttercup in hue. The resulting appearance is airy and casual, and adds a wonderful accent to the fall garden. Goldenrod ranges from about 18 inches to nearly 4 feet in height, so there is a variety to fit the needs of every gardener. Give goldenrod dry, well drained soil in full sun. This lovely plant starts blooming from July into October, depending upon variety or species.

Fall Blooming Anemones:  These wonderful pastel flowers come into their own in the late summer to early fall, often continuing until hard frost. To me, these resemble strawflowers, but much more ornate with their tufted centers. Plant in partial shade or sun with afternoon shade, in rich, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil.

Russian Sage (Perovskia):   Here is another wonderful and tall plant. Russian Sage, or Perovskia, usually has icy blue fronds of flowers which airily wave over the top of the plant. Actually a sub-shrub, these plants start their show in late summer and carry over into the fall. These appreciate sun and dry soil conditions.

Sedum:   Here is a plant that is truly for all seasons! Sedum is either low-growing and serves as a good, yet manageable groundcover, or can be a taller accent plant. The plants I am referring to are the taller-growing sedums. In the early part of the growing season, these develop flattened flowerheads that resemble broccoli in appearance. As the summer turns to fall, the flowers change to various shades of pink, red, or mahogany. Sedums do well in average soil, full sun, and are easy to grow. Some even have variegated leaves! Some varieties to try are the venerable 'Autumn Joy', 'Vera Jameson', 'Frosty Morn', with light pink to white flowerheads and variegated leaves, and the newer varieties, 'Ruby Glow', with deep red flowers, and 'Matrona', which has beautiful pink flowers on dark red stems.

Magic Lilies: (Lycoris squamigera)   Hardy with mulch and winter protection, these lilies are fun to grow! A member of the Amaryllis family, these send up straplike leaves in the spring, which melt away within a few months. In August and into September, stalks arise from the bare ground to reveal lovely pink and white-pink lilies. Plant in one spot and leave them alone, they resent being disturbed. Prefers partial shade to full sun, with moisture-retentive soil.

Toad Lilies: (Tricyrtis)   Lovely flowers and plants, many with speckled pastel flowers and patterned leaves. Grow these in moist soil inthe shady to semi-shaded areas of your gardens, and partner them with hostas for a refreshing effect. They average about 18 inches in height. Toad lilies start blooming in late summer and continue into the fall.

Black Eyed Susans (Rudebeckia):  Black-Eyed Susans are beloved plants with their cheerful yellow daisylike blooms. These start up in our area from late July on through September. Keep these deadheaded and water when dry, and they will keep performing longer. There are many new varieties to choose from, with more becoming available nearly every year.

Mums (Chrysanthemum x morifolium):   So much can be said of the Queen of the Autumn garden! There is another article on the site written about chrysanthemums, so I will only go briefly into mums here. They do vary in hardiness, and for best performance and survivability of these plants, plant and divide them in the spring, and pinch them back faithfully until July 10 in our region for a spectacular floral display. Depending on the cultivar, chrysanthemums will bloom from late August until killing frost, sometimes up into November!

Montauk Daisy (Chrysanthemum nipponicum):   Montauck Daisy begins its floral display of classic daisy-formed and colored flowers in the very late summer to early fall. Plant in rich, well-drained and moisture retentive soil with at least morning sun, and you should be able to enjoy daisies late into the season, from August to October.

Monkshood (Aconitum):  Monkshood offer another change from the daisylike flowers so common in fall gardens. To me, the individual flowers in the spikes are similar in appearance to snapdragons, with closed, hoodlike flowers. Depending upon the variety grown, Monskhood can range from knee-high to well over head-high in size. Ranging in colors from reds, bicolors, light blue to rich blues and whites, these plants will do well in good soil, in sun to semi-shade. Again, careful selection can extend the fall display from late summer to latest October. The plant is poisonous in all its parts, so exercise caution when planting it to avoid curious children or pets investigating it.

Asters (Various species):  Asters offer a wide range of species and types for the fall gardener, ranging from diminutive to nearly 3 feet in height. With careful selection, gardeners can enjoy the rich and cool blues, reds, whites, and purples of asters from late summer into fall. Plant in sunny, rich, and moisture-retentive soil. As with mums, a shearing or pinching until early summer will encourage bushiness and many blooms. Depending upon the species, asters for fall bloom from late summer into mid-fall.

Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis):   Depending upon cultivar, this native plant again offers a break from the daisy-formed flowers of autumn. Again, by selecting late-blooming cultivars, the gardener can enjoy the brilliant red spikes of cardinal flower from late summer to mid-autumn. Size can range from about a foot to 3 or 4 feet in height, depending upon variety.Plant in moist, nearly wet soil, and never allow it to dry out. Also plant in semi-shade to full sun, but keep it watered if it is in a sunny location.

Turtleheads (Chelone):  Another wetland native, chelone does resemble an open-mouthed turtle. In the same family as snapdragons, size ranges from just under 1 foot to about 3 feet in height. Various shades of pink and white are available. These require moist, rich soil and semi-shaded locations. Bloom time is late summer through September, depending upon cultivar or variety.

Boltonia (Boltonia asteroides):   It's a shame that gardeners aren't more familiar with these lovely plants. Boltonia can range from just under 2 feet to about 4 feet in height. The plant forms mounds covered with asterlike flowers and bloom from late summer into early fall. Flowers are pink to white, and the plants do require rich, moisture-retentive soil in full sun. If grown in drier soil conditions, height will be affected. The two most commonly grown cultivars are 'Snowbank', with white flowers, and 'Pink Beauty', with pink flowers.

Clara Curtis Daisy (Dendranthema):   An old cottage garden favorite, this chrysanthemum relative begins its show in our region from late summer into early October. Ranging from just under to just over two feet in height, this plant is moundlike in form, sporting dark pink flowers with golden centers. Plant in full sun, with moisture-retentive, rich soil and fertilize early in the season for the best floral display later on.

Summer Sun Oxeye Daisy (Heliopsis helianthoides)   A long-blooming perennial, this sunny yellow daisy extends the bloom season into September. Tolerant of drier soil conditions, yet displays its best show when kept from drying out. This plant does well in average soils and in full sun, and will bloom longer if kept deadheaded. Size ranges from 2 to 3 feet in height.

Fall Blooming Crocus:   These include a wide range of fall blooming bulbs of various species that can be grown in the autumn garden. Hardiness can vary, so choose varieties accordingly. Some fall blooming crocus to consider are Crocus banaticus, with its dark purple flowers, Crocus hadriacticus, whose purple flowers bloom into October, the Colchicums, and Crocus sativus, or the saffron crocus, which is hardy into zone 5. Many of these form leaves in late spring, and then bloom in the fall after the leaves die back. So, don't assume they are dead when the foliage dissipates! Most bloom from September into October, and appreciate well-drained soil in full sun.

Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana):  Another wetland native that has been hybridized, obedient plant does well in full sun to partial shade in very moist soils, the same conditions enjoyed by the cardinal flower. There are many cultivars which bloom at different times, with the latest blooming into October. Pink, white, or mauve flower spikes form over plants ranging from 1 -1/2 to 4 feet in height. Keep fertilized for the best floral display. One last note: Obedient plant gets its name from the fact that they can be bent, a boon to the flower arranger!

Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale):  Also known as 'Helen's Flower', these perennials can bloom into October in our region, depending upon the cultivar. Colors range from yellows to rusts to reds and mahoganies, and size varies from 1 to 3 feet in height. Does well in moist soils in full sun, this plant also originated in the wetlands.

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There are many other plants that bring flair and interest to the fall garden. Other plants to consider are the ornamental grasses, artemesias, stachys, santolina, and other foliage plants.

Fall is more than just the season to close the garden down for the year! Plan to explore the fall perennial border and extend the depth and dimension of your gardening experience!

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