Green Giants

Sometimes bigger really is better.  I think such a case can be made for the Northeastern fall garden.  We're just hitting peak "leaf-peeping" color around these parts, so the waning flowers have a lot of competition from the riot of red, yellow, gold and orange literally swirling around them.  Only a show of strength will divert attention, and garner admiring glances their way.  Fortunately there's a wide array of larger-than-life blossoms available in autumn that offer needed reinforcement to ailing flowerbeds, ensuring your garden looks simply sensational throughout the season.

The easiest way to go on the offensive: stock outdoor spaces with impressive annuals, such as the dahlia, shown above.  Flower heads are downright Jurassic, demanding that garden visitors stop and stare at their startling size.  Closer inspection reveals intricate blossoms of origami appeal in an assortment of colors.  Some hybrids that offer the most bang for the buck:  'Pride of Belgium,' and 'Apple blossom."  For best results, stake the plants in early summer to help support the large flower heads, and you can enjoy these stunners through mid October.  Before the first frost of the season, pop out the tubers and store them in a cool, frost-free spot (Like a garage or basement).

Proven perennials with everlasting appeal include my beloved Hibiscus moscheutos, (my favorite, 'Lord Baltimore," right).  As I've often mentioned, this versatile hardy hibiscus adds large dollops of color (in red, white or pink) to an otherwise fading fall garden.  Other autumn must-haves that have a big impact: any combination of cultivars from the daisy-like family of Helenium (sneezeweed) paired with similarly-named Helianthus (willow sunflower).  Helianthus salicifolius is particularly interesting because it's the size of the foliage that's impressive--growing up to 10 feet tall!  Laden with abundant blooms, this plant provides bright shots of yellow throughout the fall (pictured below), but even before the bevy of blooms, the lacey, willowy foliage alone will delight during the summer.   Wish you could see garden blooms clearly from your second-floor bedroom?  Plant this sunflower at the base of a sunny wall, and you'll be able to reach out and touch the blooms from your window.