Try fall flowers in cool shades
The garden season may be winding down, but that doesn’t mean your borders are done. When you grow long-lasting annuals along with late-blooming shrubs and perennials, color and interest keep going until first frost—even through winter if you leave foliage and seedheads in place.
Fall border palettes are often filled with warm jewel-toned hues — orange, red, purple and burgundy — deep shades that create a rich, moody atmosphere. But the combinations here have a softer feel. Pastel shades, such as peach, lavender, cream and silvery gray green, lighten up the shorter days and provide a mellow ambiance for your patio or seating area. Let’s take a closer look.
Peaches & Cream
When you’re in the market for plants that can tolerate a hot, dry summer and still look good, this grouping is just what you need. The zinnia and St. John’s wort will benefit from a bit of extra water during the hottest part of summer but are drought tolerant once they get established.
Flowering starts to slow down at the end of the growing season, but if you’ve been deadheading the zinnia and salvia, they’ll still have plenty of fresh blooms to keep the garden colorful until frost. There’s no need to snip spent flowers on the St. John’s wort: It forms attractive berries that last through winter if the birds don’t eat them first.
A) Zinnia (Zinnia ‘Eldorado’)
Annual; double salmon to apricot blooms from summer to frost; full sun; 30 to 36 in. tall, 18 to 24 in. wide
B) Salvia (Salvia guaranitica ‘Purple & Bloom’)
Tender perennial; large deep purple blooms with black bracts from late spring to fall; full sun to part shade; 40 to 48 in. tall, 36 to 48 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 8 to 11
C) St. John’s wort (Hypericum x inodorum)
Shrub; bright yellow flowers with prominent yellow stamens from summer to fall; red, pink, cream or coral berries; full sun to part shade; 3 to 4 ft. tall, 2 to 5 ft. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9
D) Artemisia (Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’)
Perennial; insignificant yellow flowers in late summer; silver-white foliage; full sun; 2 to 3 ft. tall, 1 to 2 ft. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9
E) Lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina)
Perennial; long spikes with lavender blooms in early summer; fuzzy silver leaves; full sun; 4 to 18 in. tall, 12 to 18 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8
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Multiseason Plants for Your Garden
Pair aromatic aster with easy-care companions
Aromatic aster keeps borders colorful from summer to frost with a multitude of blooms that are a feast for late-season butterflies. The flowers aren’t fragrant, but the foliage has a balsam scent when crushed. The narrow, pale green leaves of soapweed yucca are sharp, so watch out when you’re weeding nearby. No need to worry about pruning the juniper: This low-growing cultivar is just fine without it.
A) Aromatic aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium ‘Dream of Beauty’)
Perennial; light pink flowers with orange centers from late summer to fall; full sun to part shade; 12 to 15 in. tall, 22 to 24 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8
B) Juniper (Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Star’)
Shrub; prickly, evergreen, blue-gray foliage; full sun; 12 to 36 in. tall, 12 to 48 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8
C) Soapweed yucca (Yucca glauca)
Perennial; bell-shaped, green-white blooms in summer; full sun; 3 to 4 ft. tall, 2 to 3 ft. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8
Leave the seedheads
Even when ‘Millenium’ allium is done blooming, the show isn’t over — these distinctive seedheads provide interest from fall into winter. ‘Honorine Jobert’ Japanese anemone grows a low mound of foliage just 18 inches tall, but its flowering stems can reach 4 feet so you can grow it in the front or back of the border. And if you’ve struggled with floppy asters, ‘Carmine Red’ can help. Its sturdy stems keep flowers where you can see them.
A) Aster (Symphyotrichum Kickin® ‘Carmine Red’)
Perennial; red-purple blooms from late summer to midfall; full sun; 2 to 3 ft. tall and wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9
B) Japanese anemone (Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’)
Perennial; white flowers from late summer to fall; full sun to part shade; 36 to 48 in. tall, 18 to 24 in wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9
C) Allium (Allium ‘Millenium’)
Perennial; globe-shaped, rosy-purple blooms from early to late summer; dried seedheads last into winter; full sun to part shade; 12 to 18 in. tall and wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8
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