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August 25, 2011

Fall doesn't have to be boring in the perennial flower garden. There are great fall blooming perennials that you can put in your garden that bloom until frost. So one of my favorite ones is the great blue lobelia (Lobelia syphilitica). It grows 2 feet tall, with blue, spiky flowers. It grows well in part shade and in wet areas, so it's a nice one if you have a little moist spot in the yard. 

It's very similar in that way to the turtle head (Chelone), which has flowers that kind of look like a little turtle head! It grows big if it's in a real wet area, and can get up about 4 feet tall. Turtle heads have white or pink flowers, bloom beautifully right until frost and have dark, attractive foliage as well. 

You might have seen this next one out in meadows, it's called Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium). It is a native plant and has a wildflower look to it. It naturalizes in wet areas and has a beautiful cotton candy-like, lavender-colored flowers. It's a big plant --- growing up to 6 feet tall. If you are looking for a smaller one, look for 'Little Joe.' This one only gets about three to four feet tall, and it's a nice one to grow if you have  a small area where you're trying to fit perennials into a compact space.

If you want something that has flowers that just float above the foliage, Thalictrum or the meadow rue 'Lavender Mist' is a good choice. It's a beautiful plant, with nice purple colored flowers that bloom until frost.

And then finally the show stopper! Hibiscus! The hardy hibiscus grows up 5 feet tall, with big 10-inch diameter flowers. Cut it back to the ground at the end of the season and it will come right back from the root system and bloom for you consistently every year. So there really no reason, to have a boring fall garden! 

By Charlie Nardozzi