Although we garden year ’round in Central Texas, there’s no denying that fall is the big planting season of the year, pretty much everywhere. Trips to the nursery can simultaneously inspire and overwhelm both the novice and more experienced gardener–so many plants! So many colors! And textures! What goes where? Should I buy this or pass it up for….oh my gosh, that one! Take a deep cleansing breath, read this handy guide and you’ll be set.
Here’s my Top 5 fall perennials; plant ‘em now and enjoy for years to come!
photo by www.garden.org
Mexican Bush Sage (Salvia leucantha)– long purple flowers tipped with white, and it goes with everything in the garden. It just does. Trust me.
photo by www.bexar-tx.tamu.edu
Mexican Mint Marigold (Tagetes lucida) –a mass of yellow flowers and fine foliage and the scent! Lovely anise scent. Yummy.
photo by kevinwoodlandscapes.com
Fall Asters (Aster oblongifolia) – A traditional favorite of many gardeners, the cool daisy-like flowers start gearing up in late summer and then wham! burst forth in October! Remember to pinch them back during the summer for more compact bloom.
photo by greengrasslandscape.com
Autumn Joy Sedum (Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’) – an underutilized plant, methinks. Flowers start out pink and then deepen to a rusty mauve as they age. So pretty! Remember to cut these back to the ground (and I mean to the ground) when they’re done blooming, and look for the new cabbage-like growth in late winter. Super cool.
photo by www.eih.uh.edu
Gulf Muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) – my second favorite ornamental grass (top fave is Mexican Feathergrass; I could write an entire post on its virtues. Hey, maybe I will!). Its medium size makes it useful in many areas of the garden, and the billowy pinkish plume is simply stunning. Love, love, love it!
So there you have it. Don’t get overwhelmed at the nursery; just pick up one of two or seventeen of these babies and I guarantee your fall garden will pop. Brilliant color, gorgeous texture, proven bloomers, and easy care–what more could you ask for? And why are you sitting here still reading a blog? Get outside and go plant shopping!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I once saw a garden that had roses interplanted with Muhlenbergia and it looked so beautiful. I’m not even much of a rose lover and I could really appreciate how pretty the two looked together.
p.s. I’m totally with you on the Mexican Feather grass!
That sounds so pretty! I did a landscape a couple of years ago where I planted Mutabilis rose behind maiden grass and muhly grass and it was a beautiful backdrop. The antique roses are actually pretty drought tolerant, too.