Let me get straight to the point. Fall is an excellent time of the year for planting trees and shrubs, as well as continuing to introduce annuals, perennials, and ornamental grasses to our gardens. It’s a fact that the nursery industry has tried to impress upon the gardening public for decades - I wouldn’t be the first professional to admit that it’s always a hard sell, at least for casual gardeners anyway. By this time of the year, most people are ready to kick back and drink their first PSL (pumpkin spice latte) of the season and let Mother Nature take her course. But, for the hardcore gardener like you and me, “planting season” is anytime there is a blank spot in the garden that needs filling or a container that needs refreshing. And, nothing will get our “planting juices” flowing like a trip down to our favorite local garden center to see what’s new and interesting. Such was the case earlier this week for me when I happened to be at the nursery just as a delivery of fresh plants arrived. Here are a few examples that caught my eye…
“Heavenly Heucheras” — After 2 decades of breeding and introducing new Heuchera varieties, I never thought I would be lured into yet another selection, but somehow, they just keep coming up with new and alluring choices. The ‘Forever Purple’ and ‘Forever Red’ series from Monrovia Growers are simply stunning, and probably my newest most favorite one. Also from Monrovia Growers, is a delicious variety called ‘Black Forest Cake’. What makes ‘Black Forest Cake’ so special is the smooth, dark chocolatey foliage topped with bright cherry-red flowers - it’s unusual to get both, stunningly dark foliage and red flowers on the same plant. I counted well over 2 dozen Heucheras on the tables, many of which were in the warm fall colors of amber, orange, and even yellow tones - perfect for creating a new fall motif in the garden. In the northwest, Heucheras will grow in either sun or shade, so it shouldn’t be hard to find a spot for these new beauties.
Ornamental grasses — I have always had a love affair with ornamental grasses. They provide a nice “kinetic” quality to the garden as they sway in the breezes, and they have an attractive contrasting foliar quality against the coarser textures of other plants. They seem to come in an endless array of sizes and colors and adaptabilities, to both sun or shade and wet or dry conditions. In short, there is an ornamental grass for almost any situation in the garden. Here are two that captured my attention…
‘Lemon Squeeze’ Fountain Grass — Fountain grasses are so much fun to have in the garden. Their fuzzy little flower heads just shout out to be stroked. ‘Lemon Squeeze’ boasts chartreuse gold leaves with copper flower heads on a plant that will not burn in the sun. I am always on the hunt for yellow foliaged plants and this one looks like a keeper.
‘Blackhawks’ Big Bluestem — Dark-leaved grasses that are hardy for our region are hard to come by. Purple fountain grass may be the best for annual plantings, but it will not survive our winters. Now there is ‘Blackhawks’ Big Bluestem, which is completely hardy with foliage that emerges green, then develops red-bronze hues towards the tips in summer. The color continues to darken to deep purple, becoming almost black in the fall. This grass can reach 5 feet tall but stays fairly narrow, so it’s not a hog for space.
Fall blooming shrubs — It’s always nice to have some color coming from the shrubbery this time of year. Hypericum, also known as St. John’s Wort, can be a fun addition to the garden because, not only are the golden flowers attractive, the subsequent fruit is colorful as well. The ‘Floralberry’ series from Monrovia Growers are cleverly named and include selections such as ‘Rosé’(with rose colored berries), ‘Pinot’ (with bright red berries), and ‘Chardonnay’ (with bright yellow berries). All are in full fruit, and even some flowers, at this time of year.
Blue Balloon Bluebeard — This is one of my favorite late summer bloomers with deep blue flowers that are absolutely smothered with bees this time of year. While some will call this a shrub, it sometimes acts as a perennial and needs to be cut down in the winter. But fear not, it will return in the spring and will not disappoint the following fall.
Remember, while it is true that we can plant almost year around in the northwest, next to spring, the fall is truly the second-best opportunity to improve our gardens with new goodies. It’s not only a great time to plant, it’s also a great time to find new and fresh stock at the garden centers. Satiate your “planting thirst” today before your competitive neighbor beats you to it!
