Though most of the flowers have finished blooming by fall, there’s still a number of ways to keep your garden beautiful late into the year. There are a number of fall blooming perennials as well as shrubs and trees with vibrant foliage which can provide fall color.
While most flowers have passed there a few which can still brighten up the perennial garden. Japanese Anemone (Anemone sp.) is a fall blooming perennial with pink or white poppy-like flowers. They prefer light shade and a well-drained nutrient rich soil. Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium sp.) is a pink, red, white or blue flowering, native perennial that’s perfect in the natural garden. Stonecrop (Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’) is a classic, easy to grow, perennial which bloom in September and October. It grows clumps which grow larger each season. It’s pink and red flowers turn a rusty brown later in the year and can provide winter interest to the garden. Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia sp.) produces bright yellow flowers on tall stems which bloom in summer and last though early fall. They can survive in even the most difficult garden conditions such as heat and drought. Its flowers turn into attractive brown seed heads.
A plant which is often overlooked for its fall qualities is ornamental grass. Many grasses produce flowers and seed heads that can last for months and many provide interest through the fall and winter. Their texture can range from fine to coarse and form from softly arching or firmly upright. Many grasses have good fall color, changing to yellow, orange, red or purple before fading to tan or straw for winter. Two wonderful ornamental grasses are maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis) and fountain grass (Pennisetum orientale).
Most deciduous shrubs have something to offer in fall as well. Deciduous azaleas (Azalea viscosum), arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum) and witchhazel (Hamamelis viginiana) turn spectacular colors in the fall. The large flowers of hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla), if allowed to dry on the plant, fade to light blue and pink and last through fall. Summersweet (Clethera anlifolia) is a native, fragrant fall blooming shrub which is ideal for the shade or woodland garden or shrub border.
A number of shrubs form berries in the fall which can last through winter. Hollies (Ilex sp.), ‘Blue Muffin’ viburnum (Viburnum dentatum ‘Blue Muffin’) and Firethorn (Pyracantha angustifolia) form red, blue and orange berries respectively.
Trees such as the red maple (Acer rubrum), eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) and white birch (Betula papyrifera) are treasured for their colorful fall foliage.
The texture and rich green color of evergreen shrubs make them ideal as a backdrop for flowering shrubs or perennials. Some have twisting or weeping shapes and continue to provide the garden with interest through the fall and winter.
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