Make the end of your garden season as colorful as the spring and summer with these wonderful late blooming plants.
High-impact hydrangea are one of our favorite go-to shrubs for fall color. There are dozens of varieties some of which start blooming earlier in the season while others such as panicle, big leaf macrophylla and oak leaf, start a bit later but last well into the fall.
Loved by many, hydrangea shrubs are available in a variety of sizes and colors making them a versatile option.
A landscape dominated by evergreens or shade can be brightened beautifully by crisp white limelight or little lime varieties. Commonly used for hedges, limelight hydrangeas need room to grow and can soften strong hardscapes or architectural features such as flights of stairs, walls or verandahs.
Hydrangea flowers are overwhelmingly beautiful and a favorite cut flower for indoors. The blooms fade as fall progresses but they continue to be beautiful so we often leave them in the garden for winter interest.
Japanese anemone are a favorite fall-blooming perennial. It is the third week of October and the silvery pink, gently cupped flowers of the Amenone x hybrida ‘September Charm’ are still in full bloom at the back of my garden.
Equally stunning is the Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’. Full or part sun lovers, these pretty, easy-care plants attract butterflies but are deer and rabbit tolerant. They may look delicate but once established, they will thrive with little maintenance.
Coneflower is a long-blooming perennial that is perfect for mass planting in the native plant, naturalized or or wildflower garden. Their flowers attract butterflies in summer and left standing in the fall, their seed heads will feed overwintering birds.
Also known as echinacea, the ‘PowWow Wild Berry’ variety will start blooming as early as June and holds its magenta-pink color well into fall.
Nothing says fall quite like dazzling yellow rudbeckia blooms. Numerous varieties offer sublte variations in color, height and flower size. This popular plant is a long-lasting and prolific bloomer that pairs well with coneflower, or as seen on the right, with speedwell and geum.
The golden days of October are lovely in the garden. Falling leaves, ducks and geese winging away, and still so much beauty to enjoy.
