Keep Your Garden Vibrant With These 8 Favorite Fall Perennials
With temperatures dropping slightly and pumpkin spice lattes back on the scene, we all know that fall is about to arrive. This season might also be a time where you might find yourself wondering ways to make your yard look just as great in the fall as all other seasons. The answer is simple: fall perennials.
While spring and summer might get a lot of credit for some great bloomers, the fall is not without some show stoppers. Knowing what plants shine in this season will help you as you plant and plant your garden. While buying annuals are a great option, you might be looking for a more permanent option to help your yard looking vibrant all year long.
Fall flowers are incredible. The colors shine of deep purples, rusts, scarlets, and golds. These eight favorite fall perennial flowers are must haves for an incredible fall garden.
8 Favorite Fall Perennials
- Aster Novi-belgii or Michaelmas Daisy
This flower became famous in the Hungarian Revolution of October, 1918. The protesters were seen wearing this flower in Budapest. The revolution became known as the “Aster Revolution.” The aster novi-beligii is known as the New York aster. These plants are native to Canada and the United States. They bloom late summer early fall and come in shades of blue, pink, and white. These flowers are tough plants that light a sunny spot in the garden. - Caryopteris or Blue Mist Shrub
The Caryopteris is a small shrub that will grow between 1 – 4 meters tall. The plant is known as, “Dark Night” with flowers of a dark beautiful blue that blooms in the fall. The shrub is a great addition to a small landscape and is pretty easy to take care of. It is both doubt resistant and drought tolerant.When it comes spring time, make sure to cut the brush back and down as the blooms will grow on new wood. The butterflies and bees will be flocking to this plant.
- Chrysanthemum
The Chrysanthemum aka “mum” might be one of the most popular fall flowers. The flower symbolizes fidelity, optimism, joy, and long life. You can find them just about on every grocery store corner. In fact, my son’s school is even selling them this fall as a fund raiser.The problem with the mum is that they are often bought in the fall and used as an annual when, in fact, these incredible plants are perennials. When they are given a chance to root down and establish themselves before the winter, they will come back year after year.
It’s hard to resist buying one though as you walk through the grocery store as they are so beautiful. If you are an impulse buyer and buy one this fall, you will want to plant them immediately into the ground. This will help give them a fighting chance. Once the ground freezes, cover your mum with mulch and make sure to give the plant a ton of water.
Using a Root Stick will also be key to helping to make sure that there is quick and deep root growth that will give your plant a fighting chance through the winter. The Root Stick is designed to help water the plant down to the root source. This will make a huge help in developing deep lasting roots.
The mum comes in various forms of shapes, sizes and colors. The color alone seems to be a fall stable with yellows, reds, purples, and oranges. They look great in window boxes, or displayed in a container. According to Better Homes and Garden, “because of their tight, mounded habit and stunning bloom cover, garden mums are perfect for mass planting.”
- Helenium or Sneezeweed
These flowers scream fall with their brilliant yellows, browns, and mahogany colors. They are centered with a deep yellow or brown disc. They are long blooming and will light up come the fall season.These stunners are also deer resistant and are extremely low maintenance to grow. They are great for cutting and given as gifts or displayed throughout your home.
- Eupatorium or Joe Pye Weed
This great plant will be attracting beautiful butterflies with its large bright mauve-pink flower clutters that sit upon a deep wine red stems. You can expect to get a wonderful display of color from July through September. - Helianthus or Perennial Sunflower
The Helianthus is a bright gold, fluffy, and daisy-like flower. The one key aspect to remember about them is that they are not self-feeders, but they will not disappoint as they will attract butterflies and birds to your yard. - Sedum or Stonecrop
The sedum is a stable for any fall garden. This plant looks amazing all year long, but it is known as “Autumn Joy” as it showcases its blooms during the fall season and even into the winter. They require so little attention, that gardeners can sometimes forget their brilliance – at least until fall with the blooms slowly come out. The blooms will be a pink to mauve color. - Heliopsis or False Sunflower
The heliopsis or false sunflower is a different species than the annual and perennial sunflowers, but are “sunflower like.” The flowers are daisy like with organ and yellow blooms that are surrounded in a cone-shaped, golden-brown center disk. You can rest assured that you have will blooms for many years to come that start in summer and last through the fall season. They are easy growing plants that will be a great addition to your fall garden.
Start Your Fall Garden
Imagine having bright yellows, reds, orange flowers surrounding your home or garden. Saying goodbye to your spring and summer blooms does not have to be a sad goodbye, especially when you realize the incredible flowers that awake to be awoken come the fall.
While you can arrange your yard with beautiful annuals, knowing what perennial plants bloom in the fall will give you a vibrant yard all year long with little effort. If you plant any of these eight perennials in your yard, you can look forward to an incredible fall garden for many years to come.
