by Jessica Orellano, Landscape Designer
“The forgiving light of autumn has softened as the angle of the sun tilts away. It is almost a relief after the harsh overhead glare of summer, which can flatten the garden for most of the day and bleach color to such an extent that it is almost invisible.”
For experienced gardeners, Autumn is more than a time of chrysanthemums, pumpkins, and apple cider. It’s the time that gardens display some of their grandest and most stately flowers. To be sure, autumn perennials are among the best and brightest of the entire year, and as any good gardener knows, the trick to designing a great perennial garden is to have something blooming all the time.
For fall bloomers to be hardy in your garden, you need to plant and establish them earlier in the season, so start thinking about what you need to fill in any gaps in your landscape or what new plants you'd like to try. Take a look at some fall gardening magazines to get some ideas. It may help to take a walk around your property to visualize where landscape improvements are needed or where you might put in a new flowerbed. The most important things to think about are scents, textures, and shapes, and of course--color! Autumn bloomers tend to blossom in the jewel tones of the season, and include deep purples, rusts, scarlet and gold.
So to make this a fall to remember, explore a few of these tried and true favorites that bring out the very best of the season:
-New England Asters bears loads of pink, blue, purple, and white flowers that are great in the vase or in the garden. Butterflies love it.
-Bearing one of the season's best scents, Sweet Autumn Clematis clothes itself with fragrant white flowers at season's end. Note: This can be a fast-growing, aggressive vine.
-Fall wouldn't be fall without the cheery yellow flowers of Goldenrod. It's a tough, beautiful plant that looks good despite summer heat and drought.
-It's fun to have some contrast to all the warm autumnal shades. Russian Sage does the trick with its airy blue flowers and silvery foliage. Another reason we love it: It's tough as nails and both the foliage and blooms have a great scent.