Planning a Colorful Autumn Garden
Page 3Perennials for Fall Interest
There are many plants that will keep your fall garden in bloom, or at least add interesting textures and colors.
It's a shame we don't use them more. We all know about chrysanthemums and pansies since they are for sale everywhere, including the neighborhood grocery store. But let's go beyond the plants commonly used for fall color. Don't get me wrong, I like these old stand-bys in the garden, but there are so many more plants to grow that will liven up our fall.
Asters
An alternative to mums, and needing less maintenance, is the asters. In my new garden I have two varieties. One variety, Aster frikartii 'Wonder of Staffa', I transplanted from my old garden to my new one. A.'Wonder of Staffa' starts blooming in August, peaks in September, and finishes about the middle of October. A. 'Wonder of Staffa' (sometimes referred to as 'Wunder von Stäffa') is my all time favorite aster. I like the blue-lavender color of the blossoms and its ease of care. Provide it with well-drained, humus rich soil and mulch. Although not necessary, pinching back the plant in June helps make it bush out so it's less floppy. Once every three years, lift the plants and divide them So far this aster has been pest and disease free in my garden. I can't ask for much more in a perennial.
A fellow gardener gave me Aster lateriflorus seed in early spring one year. I planted the seed and grew the seedlings in the greenhouse until May. After planting them out, it grew quite fast and started blooming around the end of September. Its small leaves and flowers of white with pink centers give the plant a dainty look. The best position for them in the garden would be mass planted in front of a dark backdrop of large foliage. This would show off the aster's daintiness and provide a good contrast to the foliage.
I won't stop with two asters in my garden. I miss many of the varieties I grew before and plan to expand the garden to include many more new varieties. See more aster varieties here.
Sedums
Sedums are a mainstay in the fall garden because of their broad range of foliage and flower colors. Sedum alboroseum 'Mediovariegatum's' white petals with pink centers is a great choice for a late summer and fall display in the garden. The foliage of creamy yellow-white with green edging, also makes it a choice succulent to grow for its good looks from spring until first frost. The photo above shows Sedum 'Autumn Joy' growing behind S. 'Mediovariegatum'. It starts flowering in July with lime green flowers slowly changing from green to pink. As the summer season progresses into fall, the flowers turn from red to a deep russet. In winter its dried brown stalks add interest to the garden, looking especially great when sprinkled with snow. S. 'Autumn Joy' is a very popular plant with gardeners since it adds so much interest to the garden nearly year round.
Another sedum I enjoy in fall is Sedum spurium 'Tricolor' with its tricolor leaves sprawling along the ground. It makes an excellent ground cover under many plants including S. 'Autumn Joy'. After it finishes blooming in summer, I cut the dying flowers off to let the foliage take back its center stage in the garden. Since the evergreen foliage looks good year round, the plant can be tucked into rock walls or just about any nook and cranny in the garden.
Many evergreen sedums provide color and texture to the year-round garden, so don't stop at this list–be sure to include many of our native sedums in your garden! See more varieties here.
Fuchsias
I grow fuchsias in hanging baskets, but the hardy ones I grow in the garden are important elements in the fall garden. I can't imagine my garden without them. From summer well into fall, they add lots of color. Since we can grow many hardy ones in our maritime climate, I am amazed there aren't more growing here. My latest addition is a native of New Zealand, which grows prostrate along the ground. The unusual flowers are upturned, showing red stamens and blue pollen. The purple sepals and gold corolla make this fuchsia beautiful in fall as well as summer.
I grow quite a few of the hardy F. magellanicas in my garden. They are tough and reliable once established. I added F. 'Little Beauty' with blossoms of red, and a lighter purple than other similar varieties, and F. magellanica var. molinae , a pink and lavender blossom that is so pale that it almost looks white. I hope to add F. 'Joan Leach', a lavender and light pink flowering fuchsia. I am sure I will find a few more to add by next year. I can't have too many fuchsias in my garden. Be careful if you are thinking about adding hardy fuchsias to your garden; they may grow on you and become addicting. See more fuchsia varieties here.
Gardening for the Homebrewer: Grow and Process Plants for Making Beer, Wine, Gruit, Cider, Perry, and More
By co-authors Debbie Teashon (Rainy Side Gardeners) and Wendy Tweton
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