Fall flowering perennials brighten borders gone drab
Is the color in your perennial garden fading along with the summer? Dramatic spaces don't have to turn drab just because we turn the calendar from August to September. Now is a great time to brighten up your borders with late-flowering perennials. There are many that would love to be the stars of your landscape from late summer into fall.
Sun lovers
If I could choose just one fall-blooming plant for every garden, it would be Jo-Pye Weed (Eupatorium spp.). Varieties of these impressive plants grow from 3 to 7 feet tall (or taller), and bear showy clusters of flowers from late summer through September. My favorite is Gateway - a variety that grows 5 to 6 feet tall with reddish stems and huge seductive clusters of dark mauve flowers.
Many fall-blooming perennials have daisylike flowers. Asters provide a pretty pop of color in shades of pink, purple, white or blue. They bloom with a profusion of small, yellow-centered flowers in late summer into fall. They range in height from dwarf varieties a mere 12 inches tall to garden giants up to 4 feet tall.
The flowers of Boltonia resemble the flowers of an aster but are covered with pink or white flowers on sturdy, 3- to 4-foot plants. Because most of its blooms are found on the top part of this plant, you will want to plant this beauty toward the back of the border.
Sneezeweed (Helenium spp.) also has daisylike flowers, but hers are larger - about 2 to 2 1/2 inches wide. Sneezeweed can be found in a variety of fall shades, from rich gold to deep red-bronze. Equally attractive in the border or as a cut flower, most varieties grow from 2 to 3 feet tall.
If you're not a fan of daisylike flowers, choose Obedient Plant (Physostegia spp.) The plant is narrow and upright, but it gets its common name from the tendency of its snapdragon-like flower spikes to stay where they are bent. Blooms start in August and continue through September in shades of white, lavender and pink. While some varieties may spread a little more than you'd like, Miss Manners is as her name implies - mannerly. She holds her white blooms over foliage that stays where it is planted.
Everyone loves the blue flowers of Leadwort (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides). This front-of-the-border plant stays low only reaching 8 to 12 inches. Its glossy green foliage is topped with gentian blue flowers from mid August into October. As the season progresses the foliage takes on red tones - a stunning contrast to the blooms. Next spring, be patient for Leadwort to show itself. It is very late to break dormancy.
False Sunflower (Heliopsis spp.) is a long-blooming perennial that is drought tolerant once established. It starts flowering in July and continues well into September, contributing brilliant yellow and gold shades to the garden. Flowers attract butterflies and are excellent cut flowers.
Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) is often falsely accused of causing hay fever (because it blooms at the same time as the real culprit - ragweed), but it is a hardy and showy perennial that deserves a spot in any garden. Its flowers are a brilliant, golden yellow - perfect for fall. They cut well, too, so add some to fall arrangements.
There are many Sedums that have beautiful foliage all season long, but proudly present flowers from late summer into fall. There is the classic Autumn Joy, with its impressive dark pink flower heads and sturdy succulent foliage. I love Bertram Anderson. Its dusty blue foliage is the perfect backdrop for the mauve flowers. Or try Neon, with brighter electric pink flowers.
Made for shade
If your shade garden is short on fall color, brighten it with some late-flowering Monkshood (Aconitum). The showy flowers of these statuesque plants resemble those of Delphiniums in both color and form. Plant them in rich, moist soil and light shade at the back of the border.
Turtlehead (Chelone spp.) is a long-blooming perennial with robust pink to white snapdragon-like flowers on sturdy stems. Attractive to hummingbirds, it thrives in moist, partially shaded sites and grows 2 to 3 feet tall.
Japanese Anemones are beautiful flowers that also prefer a semi-shaded site. Their showy flowers start blooming in late August to September and continue throughout the fall. The exquisite pink or white blooms may be single or double. They bloom abundantly on wiry stems above handsome, dark green, clump-forming foliage.
Toad Lily (Trycirtis spp.) is an underused perennial that deserves more attention. It bears exotic, orchid-like flowers in late August to September. It often sports unusual foliage as well. Lightning Strike is a variety with gold-streaked foliage and spotted lavender flowers. Gilt Edge has creamy-edged green foliage and lavender-speckled flowers. Plant Toad Lilies close to the house or a walkway where you will enjoy their lovely flowers up close.
Don't let your garden lose its appeal just because summer has given way to fall. Choose a few late-blooming perennials, sit back, and enjoy the show.
•Diana Stoll is a master gardener and the retail manager of The Planter's Palette, 28W571 Roosevelt Road, Winfield, IL 60190. Call (630) 293-1040 or visit planterspalette.com.