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Fall Color
Autumn is a difficult time in the home landscape. The late summer drought and early cold temperatures have pretty much doomed the annuals that were so pretty a few months ago. Most common perennials will have already flowered in spring and mid-summer. However, it is possible to have lots of color in your garden this time of year. The quickest way is to plant winter-hardy pansies. Lavalette Nursery has a wide selection in yellow, maroon and various shades of purple, some with white fringes. Plant them now and they’ll bloom throughout the fall and during warm spells this winter. They’ll survive the extreme cold of winter and the light snows. Next spring, they’ll bloom profusely. All you have to do is make sure they get enough water and an occasional dose of plant food. But if you want a showcase of a fall garden, you’ll have to do some preparation next spring by planting some perennials that will come into their own in autumn. We recommend the following perennials: Ornamental grasses: These tall grasses are topped by even taller feathery spikes which sway in the fall winds, making them a uniquely animated part of your garden. This movement provides a special character lacking in more stationary plants. This is one plant you definitely do not want to cut down during your end-of-summer cleanup. At the onset of winter, these grasses turn russet and gold, adding winter interest to your garden. Cut them to the ground in the spring before new growth starts. Flowering Perennials For the most part, plants that bloom in late summer and fall are tough, drought tolerant and many of them grow tall and dramatic.
Another interesting thing about many of these fall flowers is how many of them are North American natives, which probably accounts for their toughness: they shrug off the drought, heat and humidity of our summers because that's the very climate that shaped their evolution. Asters: These under-used perennials are perfect for those who love daisy-like flowers. They are available in pink, rosy-lilac and deep purple. Taller varieties grow 3 to 4 feet tall while compact ones barely top 1 foot. The clouds of blooms last a long time.
Joe Pye Weed: The cultivated varieties available at nurseries are more compact than the native ones you see by the side of the road, and is not “weedy” at all. This butterfly magnet grows about 4 feet tall and is topped by a large lavender flowerhead containing hundreds of tiny blooms. Goldenrod: This clump-forming plant -- related to but much more compact than the roadside variety -- produces profuse bright yellow blooms in autumn. Goldenrod is unfairly blamed for causing hay fever. Ragweed, which blooms at the same time, is the real culprit. Russian sage: This is an upright flower with a very long bloom time. The plant has attractive lacy-looking grayish leaves that smell like sage. Violet-blue flower spikes appear in mid-summer and continue well into fall. This drought-tolerant perennial is a good butterfly plant, and deer-resistant. Japanese anemone: For shadier spots in your garden, consider this delicate-looking fall-flowering plant. It grows up to 3 feet tall and is topped by poppy-like flowers on slender, branching stalks. The plant will spread to form a large patch.
Pink turtlehead: This is an unusual plant -- so named because the blossoms are shaped like turtles’ heads -- but every gardener who tries it loves it. It is a carefree fall-blooming perennial which prefers shade but will grow in full sun if given plenty of water. It forms a dense clump whose dark foliage is attractive all summer. Phlox: For a long-lasting flower, perennial phlox can’t be beat. Varieties range from 18 inches to 4 feet and you can find them in colors ranging from white and pink to many shades of violet. They are spectacular in a mass and are especially attractive to butterflies.
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