Extending the Garden into Fall
Flower beds should be in bloom from the first warm days of early
spring to the first hard frost of mid-autumn. We have no trouble
filling our gardens with plants that flower in the months of June,
July and August, but it is the later months of September and
October we need to focus our plant collections to include blooming
plants for these times.
When I first came to the Botanical Garden in 1989, I would watch
each fall as the late flowering perennials were regularly frosted
before the flowers even had a chance to fully form. Nowadays, these
plants not only flower, but also have ample time to set seed!
Global warming does seem to have a silver lining, at least where it
comes to our gardening year!
As a result, we now can choose from the many varieties of
perennials with late flowering habits. Some of my favorites
include:
Helenium autumnale (Sneezeweed)
This
hardy member of the daisy family (Compositae) is a must for the
fall garden. Its bronzy-red flowers are borne atop 3-4 ft sturdy
stems in mid September. The petals of each flower are drawn back
from the central disc and the flowering period spans over 3-4
weeks.
Aster spp.
Many species of this popular genus,
also of the Compositae family, have late flowering times. The very
tall (5-6 feet) A. novae-angliae has done very well for us
in the Garden and is a great companion plant to the Helenium
autumnale. For the rock garden or front of the border
try the New York Aster, Aster novi-belgii or the very
dwarf Aster dumosus.
Physalis alkekengi (Chinese
Lantern)
Although this plant flowers in mid summer, its
resulting brilliant orange seedhead makes it a must for the fall
garden. This member of the potato family (Solanaceae) is quick to
spread. Given a sunny spot and some good soil, they will be a sight
to behold around Halloween when the bright orange seedheads make
fitting decorations.
Anemone hupehensis, A. X
hybrida
This vigorous branching perennial of the
buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) bears cup-shaped, single,
rose-pink flowers in late summer and early fall. Its delicate
blooms, late into the season, make this hardy plant well worth
adding to your garden.
Sedum spectabile ‘Autumn
Joy’
This plant got its name for obvious reasons.
This tall sedum is in full bloom in September, and continues
flowering well into October. A great plant for attracting
butterflies, this member of the Crassulaceae family is a hardy
addition to our fall gardens.
Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Golden
Glow’
This is another member of the Compositae
family, reaching a whopping 6-7 feet high. A hardy perennial
producing double golden-yellow flower heads with green centers in
late summer/autumn is worthy of a sunny spot at the back of the
garden. Another close relative is Rudbeckia
nitida ‘Herbsonne’. Its yellow, daisy-like
flower heads with conical green centers are carried singly on tall
stems. This species shares the same height and flowering period as
its ‘golden’ cousin.
This list is just a sampling of the many worth-while, late
flowering perennials that should be added to our Newfoundland
gardens. Using these plants will help extend the flowering season
well into October. Let’s work toward making the period from
the last bloom in fall to the first bloom in spring as short as
humanly possible. Happy planting!
Tim Walsh
Nurseryman/Propagator
