Happy first day of fall! Just because we've turned the page on summer doesn't mean autumn can't create a brand new chapter in your garden log. I know, most of the flowers have bloomed out, but there's still plenty of color out there! Besides the tried-and-true autumn staples--sedum, asters, goldenrod and chrysanthemums--there's a bevy of foliage waiting for planting by horticultural trail-blazers adventurous enough to set their garden paths ablaze!
Topping my colorful list are perennial grasses, which take autumn seriously, knowing it's their season to shine. The panicles of Northern Sea Oats start out green (above), but will finish with a copper flourish, while miscanthus cultivars produce burnished protrusions that catch the light in a veritable fireworks display of gold, burgundy and brass (see photos, below).
Other plants mellow out in cooler weather. For example, Hydrangea paniculata, change up their hues in autumn, their flower heads going from creamy white to rose. Joe Pye Weed's mop tops turn from bright pink to subtle salmon. Some shrubs offer up color in the form of fall berries, like beautyberry, viburnum, barberry and winterberry. A feast for the eyes--and wildlife.
And since all plants turn to seed, keep spent flower heads (like Rudbeckia and coneflower) in the garden throughout the season, so birds and beneficial bugs have something to snack on!
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