This year’s Fling – a yearly get-together for garden bloggers, grammers and tubers – is the first to take place during the fall, from September 21 – 24. Or close enough, with the autumnal equinox happening on September 23.
It’s based around the Philadelphia area, including Longwood Gardens (the host), Chanticleer and a slew of private gardens. I won’t take up space describing this event; one or more Ranters have been attending these since 2008 – they’re lots of fun.
I’ll be curious, though, to see what the private gardeners have going at the end of September. (We can safely assume that Longwood and Chanticleer will be spectacular.) I love September, but I have mixed feelings about my September garden, outside of the hydrangeas. The Japanese maples, amsonia, and other perennials with fall color haven’t really started up. Many of the brightly flowering perennials are done and I don’t find my David Austin roses giving me a big September display. Lilies are done.
I am deadheading buddleia and double rudbeckia like crazy, to get the most out of those shows. Annuals like petunia and lobelia have to be cut way back or just removed.
But some common annuals and big tropicals provide quite a show in September. I have been going all out on coleus, finding that I can get some really interesting varieties through a combo of local nurseries and online. These are workhorses and if you mass contrasting types together, it’s not bad at all.
Lobularia, alyssum, whatever you want to call it is fabulous through October, with its honey scent; white euphorbia also laughs at seasonal change. Begonias and annual salvia, same.
This is also the time the alocasia and colocasia soar and multiply. And of course, we all know the value of zinnias.
I don’t plan for a fall garden, however – I just try to have things that go through the season, i.e., no mums or ‘Autumn Joy.’ Just like winter interest, the fall equivalent will have to take care of itself.
It will be interesting to see what people in the Longwood area do.
My wife loves mums and “Autumn Joy”. She puts up with me living in the garden, so I am always sure to include things she loves. (I’d like to cut down the ever-increasing Leland but she loves it.) But, ya, September gardens often look tired, as do I. Even the Zinnias down here in Zone 8 VA often look “done fer” by September. I too love coleus and have many different types this year that still look great. I am rooting many of those now for next year.
Things look pretty scraggly here in zone 5/6 Ohio. A Kentucky garden writer called this part of the country the Zombie Zone.
I have to control the urge to rip out annuals and vegetables because I know usually they will snap back for another month or so.
I just bought my mom some mums for the fall. She loves them! I myself am picking the last of my veggie garden. With such an uncharacteristic summer this year (at least in the northeast), I have no idea what this fall will hold. Excited to see what my neighbors decide!
Our anemones and obedient plants are putting on quite a show in the sunny perennial garden bordering the driveway. They are edged with a pale pink Pentas and white annual Dianthus. This pink and white color scheme looks fresh compared to the golds and russet colors of other traditional fall blooms. In our shady backyard blue mist flower and white snakeroot blend well with white woodland aster, straw-colored sea oats, and yellow woodland sunflowers.
I regret planting Northern Sea Oats, as pretty as they are. They just spread too much for me. I’ve been trying to get rid of them all for a few years now. I had blue mist flower (Hardy Ageratum) show up in my garden a couple years ago and boy oh boy… they do spread, but they are so lovely and look smashing combined with goldenrod. (Interestingly, this year, some had lemony yellow leaves, very pretty!) My perennial mum Sheffield Pink won’t bloom for me ’til October. The Japanese anemone are going strong right now. The annual plant Perilla (a spreader for sure) looks so beautiful when the leaves turn from the deep purple color to a faded raspberry and olive color in the fall. (Similar in shade to the leaf of Hyacinth Bean.)
Susan, I agree that’s Northern Sea Oats are very aggressive, yet we find our large patch of them to be helpful in keeping invasive Japanese Stilt Grass at bay. When the power company cleared out a ten foot ride right-of-way behind our property several invasive species moved in. We’ve removed the garlic mustard and multi flora rose, but the JSG is insidious. Hence the need for aggressive natives (Goldenrod, White Snakeroot, Blue Mist Flower, Northern Sea Oats, etc.) in the semi-wilderness area at the edge of our property. An added bonus is that these plants are deer resistant for us.
Love this Rant Eliz!
I am starting to focus on native asters for fall–Symphotricum oblongifolium (aromatic aster) and Symphotricum prenanthoides (crooked-stemmed aster) to name two. Beautiful, vigorous and loved by bees.