As the season officially changes with the passing of the autumnal equinox, it’s time to consider putting your plants to bed and preparing for spring growth. But don’t think that the beauty of gardening has ended. There are still plenty of fall-blooming plants available to keep your spirits up as the season wanes.
In addition to the traditional mums, sedums, and asters that are readily available at most local nurseries, there are additional fall-blooming treasures that may require a little searching but are certainly worth the quest.
The delicate feathery sprays of blue mist shrubs (Caryopteris) offer a perfect complement to the vast array of pink, white, yellow, and gold fall-blooming favorites. Several members of the Joe-Pye-Weed family (Eupatorium) are season extenders, blooming for several weeks during early autumn.
Is there hope for empty flower gardens? Indeed. Pansies have been hybridized to survive early frost and snow. It’s amazing to see a bed of them peeping out of the first snowfall, and they last until the sub-freezing weather hits. They solve the problem of bare garden areas and are best planted in mass.
These late bloomers can add a spark of pleasure to the more mundane tasks of fall clean-up and spring preparation. With all these items to take care of, fall gardening can be just as busy as any other part of the growing season.
