In The Fall Garden
Its that somewhat untidy time of year
when we're itching to get pruning shears in
hand and cut things back. But we need to stop for a
minute, take a step back and look closely at the
garden.
There is a kind of stark beauty in
the golden stems and black seedpods of coneflowers and black-eyed Susans. The ornamental
grasses are in
full bloom, and its a matter of time before
their green blades turn to gold, and winter's rains and winds will bleach them to a pale straw color. The sedum is in full bloom, but in another month or two its brick red flowers will turn cinnamon colored, then
black, then gray as a skeleton.
If you grow the right plants, your
fall - and winter - garden can be as
exciting and colorful as spring and summer. There are scores of
perennials that die back gracefully and are as fetching and
beautiful in dormant colors as they are in bloom.
A
few favorite multi-season perennials include:
Feather Reed
Grass (Calamagrostis acuti-flora
stricta):
One of the most graceful grasses
we know. Its slim,
straight blades sway in the slightest breeze. Come winter, the dusky
purple inflorescences turn golden atop
green blades.
Yarrow (Achillea): We prefer the tall,
clumping sorts like
"Coronation Gold." The sunny and golden-yellow flowers hold their color
for weeks and then
turn a golden yellow color. No matter how much rain beats down on
them, they stand up.
Jerusalem
sage (Phlomis fruticosa):
A woody shrub that sends up tall stems
with whorls of yellow flowers. Once the petals fall away, the seed capsules are left Good in dry
arrangements.
Maiden
grass (Miscanthus
sinensis gracillimus):
Blades turn a golden yellow in
fall. Doesn't need to be
cut back until new growth peeks out in January.
Cornflower
(Echinacea purpurea);
Drooping pink petals and spiky orange
cones gradually turn
brown, then
blacken as winter sets in.Striking with ornamental grasses.
Black
eye-Susan (Rudbeckia):
Stems turn dark brown, seed heads even darker. Great
with ornamental grasses.
Sedum
"Autumn Joy":
A favorite for all-year interest Starts out with green
rosettes peeking out of the ground in the spring.
Makes
tall clumps of
succulent green foliage, then in autumn produces brick-red flowers that
turn
cinnamon color,
then blacken, then bleach out to gray by winter's end.
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