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Purple Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae): All photos by Carol Martin
Many gardeners, both novice and seasoned, see Fall as a time to put their gardens to bed. While this is an important task, I like to think of Fall as my first step in planning for the new plants I will put in my garden next Spring. Fall is the perfect time to take a look at your garden and evaluate whether you have enough plants blooming to make it attractive and to support our pollinators.
Here are some ideas and plant suggestions to keep your garden beautiful throughout the Fall months.
Before the first frost
Assess your garden to see
if you still have plants blooming. Are there areas of your garden that are
looking forlorn? Are there any colors that could make your garden more attractive
to humans and/or pollinators? Are there any plants that have bloomed all summer
and are still blooming? Maybe you want to plant more of that plant next spring.
2. Tour your neighborhood or local parks
Tour your neighborhood or local parks
to see what is still blooming in other people’s gardens. I like to look at
other people’s gardens first because these are gardens grown by people who live
where you live and are not (most likely) professional horticulturalists. Start
a list of potential plants for next spring by taking pictures and identifying
the plants. If you have a smart phone, iPhone or Android, when you take a photo
of a plant, it will automatically identify it. (Quick note about Google phones,
use Google Lens instead of the Camera to identify images.)
3. Explore botanical gardens
Once you’ve explored your neighborhood, visit
some botanical gardens such as Denver Botanical Gardens: York Street, Chatfield
Farm and Plains Conservation Center, or Hudson Gardens to name a few. Keep in
mind, for many of us, what we see at botanical gardens are both inspirational
and aspirational. These gardens are tended by teams of full time
horticulturalists so your results may vary. That being said, be inspired, take
more pictures and add to your plant list.
Plant Select
Check out the Plant Select website
at https://plantselect.org.
Plant Select is a cooperative effort by Colorado State University, Denver
Botanic Gardens and regional nurseries to develop plants that will thrive in
the Rocky Mountain region. Their website makes it easy for gardeners to find
plants that meet their needs. Using the advanced search feature you can search
for Fall blooming plants that meet your requirements. Recently I was looking
for a Fall blooming perennial with orange blossoms. Plant Select suggested Coronado
Hyssop (Agastache aurantiaca) which is now at the top of my spring planting
list.
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| Coronado Hyssop (Agastache aurantiaca) |
CSU extension has a list of over 100 fall blooming plants for you to consider as you add to your Spring planting list. The link to the document is listed below.
A few of my favorites
Purple Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) – This compact,
easy to grow plant bursts into gorgeous purple blossoms in the late summer,
providing much-needed color and vital nectar for pollinators right when much of
the garden has finished for the season.
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| Autumn Joy (Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude’) |
Autumn
Joy – The name says it all. These plants are sturdy and easy to grow, providing
blossoms in pale pink to deep burgundy. Because of its thick, succulent leaves,
which can store water, Autumn Joy is drought tolerant.
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| Blanket Flower (Gaillardia) |
Sources:
PlantSelect - Smart plants inspired by the Rocky Mountain region
https://extension.colostate.edu/docs/pubs/garden/color.pdf
Blooming Color By Season by Laura Pottorff, Colorado State University
Cooperative Extension
Photo credits:
Coronado Hyssop (Agastache aurantiaca): Carol Martin
Purple Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae): Carol Martin
Autumn Joy (Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude’): Carol
Martin
Blanket Flower (Gaillardia): Carol Martin