Plant in Fall for a Splendid Spring
For a profusion of springtime blooms, plant these combos of annuals and perennials in the fall:
· Violas and pansies
· Huechera or Coral Bells
· Parsley (always throw in some herbs)…Chervil, Tricolor Sage, and Chives
· Mustards, Ornamental Cabbages, and Kale
· Snapdragons-plant in fall, cut back in winter, and watch them explode in Spring!
· Digitalis (foxgloves)
· Delphinium and larkspur
· Hellebores or Lenten Roses
· Poppies - I like to sow them by seed in late fall and plant small plants as well during the fall and into the winter months for a profusion of blooms.
· Dianthus, Sweet William and Alyssum - Bloom in fall and spring
· Monarda or Bee’s Balm
· Daylilies
· Rudbeckias such as Black eyed Susan (spring and fall are great times for these)
· Of course, tulips, daffodils, and other spring blooming bulbs.
Pick a grouping of your favorites and start there; expand upon your success each season and remember to keep a record of your success. Snip some of your choice blossoms and enjoy the fruits of your labor to bring inside as well.
For a Fabulous Fall, plant these in Spring or Early Summer:
· Mexican Salvia or Mexican Bush Sage
· Russian Sage
· Ryan’s daisies and asters
· Mexican marigold
· Other salvias or sages such as pineapple, Black and Blue, May Night, and Forsythia Sage…the list goes on and on!
· Lamb’s ear
· Artemisia
· Veronica
· Agastache
· Black eyed Susan and other Rudbeckias
· Ornamental grasses and sedges
· Eupatorium or Joe Pye Weed
· Autumn Joy Sedum: Sedums in general are knockouts in the garden!
· Caryopteris or Blue Mist Shrub,
· Perennial Sunflower (Helianthus angustifolia)
· Sweet Autumn Clematis
· Japanese Anemone
· Toad lilies, lily bulbs, and daylilies
Choose a few from this list and document your success. Allow your coleuses, tender tropical plants like ginger and angel trumpet, caladiums and elephant ears, sweet potato vine and other summer troopers to mix in with your fall perennials and a cornucopia of your own garden flowers will bloom in abundance throughout the season.
Stay tuned for perennial points and tips.
