Prolific summer-blooming perennials such as catmint and coreopsis may be looking a little tired by now, and even those hearty annuals like petunias may be running out of steam. To add fall color to your yard, plant some late-blooming perennials. Even at this time of year, you can choose from a broad spectrum of colors – from pink to purple to white to yellow.
These are just a few of the attractive perennials with fall flowers:
- Aster
- Boltonia
- Chrysanthemum
- Goldenrod
- Japanese anemone
- Obediant plant
- Russian sage
- Salvia ‘Blue Hill,’ Snow Hill,’ ‘May Night’
- Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’
- Turtlehead
As always when planting perennials, site them where the varieties you have chosen will receive the proper amount of sun. Set containers out on your flowerbed to determine the best placement, allowing space for plants to grow in coming years, then follow planting directions:
- Dig a hole slightly larger than the plant’s root ball, seting aside the soil you remove.
- Turn the container over and tap the plant out into your hand. Loosen the bottom and sides of the root ball and spread roots so they will not encircle themselves in the hole.
- Place the plant in the hole so the top of the root ball will be level with the surrounding soil, as it was in the container.
- Mix the soil from the hole with clean organic matter and fill in around the root ball. Firm the soil slightly (but do not compress it) and water well. Adding plant food to the water will help get the plant off to a good start. Add additional soil if necessary after watering.
- Cover the soil between plants with mulch
Be sure to keep your transplants watered well. Feed them every 7-14 days with all purpose plant food as you water, and you will enjoy colorful blooms right through the fall.