Summer's second act

Now that autumn is officially here, it seems more like summer. Temperatures have soared into the 80's nearly every day this month--something we northeasterners didn't see in July.

I, for one, am making the most of the Indian summer--spending time in my garden and admiring plants, like the morning glory, above, which would normally be on the decline during this time of year. Everywhere I turn, I see the effects of a very rainy summer followed by warm fall days. Plants are huge and healthy, and longer lasting.

Tree leaves are not as brilliant as normal, since it's the cooler temperatures that broadcast the signal to stop producing chlorophyll. That will happen soon--sooner than I wish. In fact, with the promise of brilliant color right around the corner, I'm enjoying summer's second act. You should too. Get outside and tour a winery, pick some apples or just stroll through your neighborhood. It's also a great time to plant spring bulbs.

Autumn-themed window boxes

The summer's nearly over, but that doesn't mean planting season is kaput! Hardy plants and dried flowers will carry window boxes and planters through autumn--and, in some cases, even into winter.

The key is to choose plants that won't wilt and die until temperatures dip below freezing. Hearty red geranium and petunia (pictured above) tend to stay in shape even when the mercury slides into the forties, and upper thirties. Of course chrysanthemums last a good long while, and provide plenty of spectacular color, but consider filling in sparse areas with unlikely species--dwarf boxwood and cyprus, winter cabbage, the dried mop heads of hydrangea, and even the "cinnamon sticks" from the fern of the same name. They all look fantastic in fall (as you can clearly see in the photo).

Go a step further--as seen in the picture--and paint window boxes a cheery hue the color of sugar maple leaves, and accent windows in strips of rich green wood for a look that's both rustic and elegant.

If time and/or money is an issue, gather a bunch of fallen leaves in three or four different shades and exercise your creativity: arrange them in a soil-filled window box or planter around existing plants, or even by themselves. You can even add small logs (1"-2" wide) into the mix. Slender white birch logs look amazing in these types of designs, especially when combined with Christmas ferns, which stay green all year long, and the explosive red seed heads of switch grass. Festive!

After the storm

Just as Texans were packing up and heading out of many coastal towns, I was driving into Hurricane Harvey territory. Driving the 25-plus hours toward Austin, I had no idea what I was in for. I had no choice. My daughter and her dogs were visiting with us in New York, but she has a job that started this past week in Austin.

I'm not going to say it was the best cross-country trip I've ever made. Tedious hours behind the wheel, trying to rip through counties and towns as fast as I could while my muscles protested, locked into the "driving position" for 14 hours a day. Almost unbearable. Yet it was the unknown that made the trip most difficult. What would we encounter when we met up with the storm? Downpours so powerful that I'd have to pull off the highway? Flash floods that could swiftly carry our car away? Weather reporters were unsure; the hurricane appeared to be unpredictable.

As luck would have it, we appeared on the scene just after the deluge. Aside from downed trees and littered pathways (see a photo I took from Common's Ford in Austin, above), Travis County was pretty much spared. The poor people of Houston were not so lucky. All the horrible emergencies I'd conjured in my head have become reality for so many of them. The photos coming out of that region are harsh and heartbreaking.

Let's help the folks in the ravaged areas along the Texas coast. Go on redcross.org or call 1-800-HELP NOW. If it's easier to text a $10 donation, send a message to 90999 with a message saying "REDCROSS" and it will arrive to the charity via your phone company, but be aware: it takes longer to get the money to victims since it has to go through a third party.

However you choose to help, it will aid in getting fellow Americans back to safety, and normal lives.

Light up the night

Many flowers call it a day as soon as the sun sets, but evening is often the time we want to spend in our outdoor spaces. Cocktail parties, cookouts--or just cooling down after steamy summer temps--are enhanced by a bevy of beautiful blossoms. This is the time plants like the evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) like to shine.

This annual (or biennial, depending on local climate) boasts yellow flowers more than two inches wide that open at dusk. It flourishes from June through October in the Northeast, so it's a handy plant to have around this time of year, as many other flowers die down.

Evening primrose doesn't need much nurturing. It's been known to thrive in dry meadows, waste places and along roadsides, but don't let its humble abodes deter you. It looks magnificent when paired with purple petunias or red roses. Its sunny demeanor holds its own among the more noble blooms.

What's more, the entire plant is edible. Principally cultivated for its root, it can also be prepared as a tea or tincture to treat coughs related to colds. A salve made from the plant treats skin irritations, and traditionally, it was used as medicine for the urinary system, relieving bladder and urethra pain (though I don't recommend applying it in this fashion without checking with your doctor first).

Because the hardworking evening primrose produces brilliant yellow buds and lush foliage around the clock for a solid four months with little or no supervision, it deserves a spot in your flowerbeds.

Extend your blooming season

I find myself feeling wistful this time of year. It's something about seeing that last day lily bloom (above) that stirs up emotions of love and loss. As the garden settles down and the riot of blooms subsides, the idea of beauty and life as precious, fleeting entities covers me like a heavy mantle. I carry this weight as I wander the pathways of my gardens, trying not to sigh.

Fortunately, knowing this malaise will descend upon me this time of year, I've learned to prepare, and even divert my melancholy. Yes, it's important to acknowledge the facts: my day lilies are pretty much done for the season. They've gone the way of some of my favorites: the columbine, climbing rose, lupine and peony. But the growing season is far from over!

The Liatris, Rudbeckia and Echinacea have just started to shine. The hydrangeas are hanging in there, and I'm still getting a smattering of Shasta daisies. Soon my Montauk daisies and Anemone will emerge. Other fall must-haves are: Sedum (all varieties), the pretty panicles of Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium), Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), bluebeard bush (Caryopteris clandonensis) and the magnificent Rose Mallow (AKA Hibiscus moscheutos). The one I planted last year has dozens of buds on it and each gorgeous crimson flower--the size of a dinner plate--is a work of art (below).

Another way to extend the flowering in outdoor spaces is to plant re-bloomers. Experts have been working hard at hybridizing for years, and over the past decade or so, many of our all-time favorites push forth blossoms from spring to the first frost. Among them: lilacs, azaleas and roses (I have them in white--seen in the background of the Rose Mallow photo--and hot pink, seen entwined with Rudbeckia, below).

With all the horticultural innovations available, there's no reason your garden (and mine!) can't look abundant right up through October!

Layering color in your flower garden

The easiest way to add texture and personality to your garden is by choosing plants with varied foliage and bloom color. Don't be afraid to go at the garden full-force, planting an array of colors close together. If you hate the effect, simply dig up the plants that don't conform with your vision and move them to another spot.

In this way, garden design is a lot like testing different paint colors on the walls of your house. Sometimes you have to sample quite a few before hitting on the exact shade you like. For every 10 plants I painstakingly get into the ground, about three will get unceremoniously (but carefully) pulled up and placed elsewhere.

It's not always the plant's fault. Sometimes my vision for a certain flowerbed will change. Of course there are times when the plant really IS to blame. If you purchased a Eupatorium (Joe Pye weed) that was supposed to get four feet tall but actually grows to a gigantic 8 in a sun-loving bed (as mine did), you have every right to relocate it (I loved it so much I simply added an arbor to keep the mop-head flowers from bending forward).

When choosing colors and shapes, go with your gut. Want an all-out color assault on your senses? Layer as many colors as you can in one small area as I have done (above). I chose neutrals and brights in pots (foreground), enhanced by the lavendar blooms of white-edged hostas, deep purple Monarda (bee balm) blossoms, orange day lilies, yellow lanceleaf coreopsis and deep blue Hydrangea macrophylla (far background).

Feeling playful? The polka dot leaves of Pulmonaria (AKA lungwort) will brighten up shady spots, and even fare well in partial sun. I paired mine with the stripy Carex (AKA sedge, pictured below) because I wanted a "circles and stripes" theme by my side door.

Is minimalism your thing? Plant a flower garden with just one blossom shade. A great example of this is the White Garden at Sissinghurst in England. Because the foliage hues differ greatly in this grand design, the effect is still one of great variety.

This is the time of year perennials go on deep discount. Purchase a plethora of plants you may never otherwise have considered--and have a field day in your outdoor spaces!

Take your garden to new heights

For all of you gardeners who, like me, are running out of space in your yards, look up! If you want to continue expressing yourself through your gardening, the sky is--quite literally--the limit. Plants may be anchored to the ground, but they don't have to hug the horizon. Let leafy tendrils reach for the heavens!

There are certain species that prefer to go vertical--with a friendly lift. Among them are: hollyhocks, roses, wisteria, trumpet vine, honeysuckle, clematis, moonflower and morning glory (to name just a few). Stylish garden implements--from towering trellises and traditional tuteurs to stacked-plant screens and freestanding frames--offer maximum lift with minimal effort.

If you're a newcomer to the high-rise plant concept, the easiest vines to grow in the Northeast are plants that are native to our area. My favorite is the humble trumpet vine (Campis radicans). I love it for a number of reasons--it's easy to grow, has lush, gorgeous flowers and attracts hummingbirds (hence it's other common name of Hummingbird Vine).  When allowed to spread out, the dense foliage provides a safe place for nesting birds.

Buyer beware. Plant trumpet vine in a spot you need coverage (I have it on arbors and trellises, as pictured, above). If you place it in a competitive spot--say, with roses--the trumpet vine will win out. It's tough and tenacious. Clip it back ruthlessly to keep it in check.

More earth-bound plants still love to spread upward and outward, as is the case with hollyhocks (alcea). This giant of the gardening world is a member of the mallow family. It produces beautiful blooms in a wide range of colors and regenerates itself with an abundance of seeds. After it's established, it pretty much tends to it's own needs--except for relying on helpful stakes to keep it standing tall. In fact, it leans so heavily on those stakes, you often have to tie stems to them with twine. Tie loosely to allow plenty of air circulation.

The best way to show off plants without taking away from your garden's style, is to choose implements that enhance not only the flowers and foliage you are highlighting, but the overall feel of your outdoor spaces. Try an expanding bamboo trellis (jamaligarden.com makes a nice one) for a clean modern look, or an aged cedar tuteur (available at whiteflowerfarm.com) for timeless appeal. If low-care is your thing, the attractive white Dura-Trel PVC trellis is maintenance-free and has a 20-year warranty (sold on Amazon.com).

Garden helpers like these are nearly as abundant at the plants they aid. The key is to find the ones which best suit your style and budget. Happy planting!