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One of the more challenging parts of gardening in the autumn today is the wide choice of plants we now have in our pallet – it is no longer just our grandparents choice of mums or kale. OK – lets start with the basics – Fall Gardening is NOT hard – it is as easy as seeing something you like and planting it. Most of gardening in the fall is about taking a tired garden that has been blooming all summer and convincing it to share more color as the temperatures get cooler ahead of winter. The hard part comes in only if you are trying to ‘stretch’ the season into the winter or even into the next spring.
The smaller list would be of plants that will give color in fall but also will take hard frosts and in some cases pull through winter for color in early spring. The most well known of these is Pansy and Viola who are ‘annuals’ in Minnesota but more often than not will give color into the winter and if the snow cover is adequate winter-over and bloom during the cool spring. Plants worth a look are Dianthus varieties such as Bouquet Purple (actually won an award in the previously mention State of Minnesota) that is pretty winter hardy, and our tougher annuals such as Calibrachoa, Bellis and Bracteantha. Out of this list Bractantha is a good one to think about – this is not a perennial – but an annual that will take frosts down to 26-27°. Bracteantha has good fall colors – oranges, yellows and reds and is showy in the garden. While it will not winter over in ‘real’ winters – it will work well in the Mid Atlantic areas through the Mid South – and in mild winters in protected spots in places in the Midwest and Northeast. The key to fall color choices is to experiment – plant what you like and enjoy all the color the flowers provide you. A list of plants to try:
Tricks or tips for Fall Color with Premium Color? Not too many that are different that your normal gardening. The ONE important piece to remember is you want to get the plants well established before the weather turns too cold, otherwise the small root ball will struggle. To get the plants well established we like to use one time application of water soluble plant food while we plant – a 10-10-10 shot from VIGORO All Purpose Plant Food. Water Soluble foods work fast but do not stay around long so the advantage here is it will boost the plant to get established but not force too much tender growth when it gets cold. Too much feed in fall is a big no-no. The other trick for fall is to mulch with 2-3 inches of organic mulch around your flower bed. We like mulch for all gardens – but for fall gardening it will keep the soil warmer longer – and both maximize your flower show while protecting the roots for too much cold. Your mulch can be compost, chipped leaves, peat moss, straw or bark. Our rule of thumb with mulch is more is always better than less. Happy Fall gardening!
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First – let’s start with a goal in mind – is this a true fall garden – only to give color as we cool down – or is it a fall garden that is really an early spring garden – full of items that will carry through winter? This choice is important only that your plant choices for fall ‘only’ are many – Argyranthumum, Brachyscome, Bacopa, Diascia, Nemesia all join the standards of pansy, mums and kale. Diascia is a good example – this is an annual that blooms best in cooler weather when the thermometer is well under 80° - so the 50’s and 60° days of fall really are to its liking. What Diascia will not do is over-winter except in the most mild of climates – (think Coastal California) but is a perfectly good choice for a nice show of color when the temperatures cool.