The end of the Spring & Summer season doesn't have to mean the end of your bright, blooming garden. We've gathered a few of our favorite plants to add some Fall color and interest to your gardens, containers and hanging baskets.
Annuals
Pansies
A great choice for beds, containers and baskets, Pansies are easy to grow and thrive in cool weather and various lighting situations. Avoid full shade and overly wet soil.
Strawflower
Known for their unique petal texture and long bloom period, Strawflowers are a fun addition to containers and beds. Gardeners who love cut flowers, drying flowers and using their blooms for crafts will especially enjoy this flowers versatility.
Ornamental
Cabbage & Kale
This isn't the cabbage and kale you want in your salad. These ornamental varieties have tough foliage that can stand the cold temperatures. Bright whites and showy purples add contrast in containers and beds.
Grasses
Sedge / Carex
With a wide range of varieties from full sun to shade loving, deciduous to evergreen, there is a Sedge for every garden. Plant evergreen Sedge in containers or beds as a colorful backdrop for your blooming plants, or to add texture between established shrub and perennials during the cooler months.
Cordyline
Boasting colorful, large blades, Cordyline make a great statement as a centerpiece in containers or a backdrop in beds. Some varieties are evergreen while others are annuals- be sure to check! Ranges in size from a foot to over 5 feet in height.
Part to full sun.
Phormium
Also known as New Zealand Flax, these large and often colorful clumps of wide blades make a perfect specimen plant for beds or large planter boxes. Tolerant to poor soil conditions and do best in full sun to partial shade.
Black Mondo Grass
A popular choice for gardeners after the texture of ornamental grasses without the height. This low-growing, evergreen ornamental grass has blades that darken to black as they mature and pinkish-white flowers in the Summer. Full sun to shade, avoiding very hot locations.
Perennials
Heuchera
A wide array of colors can be found in the Heuchera from lime-green to dark purple, making it a complimentary plant for any container or bed. Evergreen foliage is accompanied by sprays of bell-shaped flowers in Spring and Summer.
Aster
Full sun to part shade is ideal for these colorful blooming perennials. Plant in containers or in-ground for a cluster of blooms from Summer to Fall. Available in a variety of colors.
Chrysanthemum
Often planted alongside Asters in containers or beds. Bright, colorful blooms cover the entire plant from Summer to Fall. Deadhead spent blooms to elongate bloom period.
Hellebore
If you love specimen plants, then Hellebore are for you! Lush, evergreen foliage is paired with exquisite blooms in the late Winter & early Spring, with occasional Fall or Summer blooming depending on the weather and variety. Deer resistant. Single and double blooms in a multitude of colors.
Rudbeckia
Black Eyed Susan's are a staple in most ornamental gardens. These hardy, long lasting bloomers are loved by the low-maintenance gardener as well as gardeners who love cut flowers for arrangements.
Trees & Shrubs
Maples
It's almost impossible to think of Fall color without thinking of the blazing colors found in Maples. Bright oranges to fiery reds make these deciduous trees a fantastic interest piece in Fall and into Winter. Size, lighting needs, and colors vary by variety.
Contorted Filbert
The twisted limbs of the contorted Filbert provide interest year round, with or without leaves. Fantastic as a stand alone tree or mixed into a landscape. Sprays of yellow blooms in the Spring.
Tiger Eyes Sumac
Long, narrow leaves mature to bright yellow and turn a vibrant orange in the fall. Deciduous. Grows 3 to 6 feet tall and wide. Drought tolerant. Full sun to partial shade.
Euonymus
Also known as the "Burning Bush" because of its bright, fiery red fall foliage. Full sun is ideal for these hardy, deciduous shrubs. Low maintenance and a great colorful addition to landscapes. Spring and Summer foliage coloring varies by variety.
Barberry
It doesn't get more deer resistant than the thorn covered Barberry. But don't let the fear of getting pricked deter you from these colorful shrubs ranging from bright green to plum and transitioning into vibrant shades of oranges and reds. Deciduous and drought tolerant once established.
Nandina
Some may know Nandina by the name "Heavenly Bamboo", though this shrub is not actually related to bamboo. The semi-evergreen foliage has sprays of bright red new growth that has white flowers in the Spring followed by berries that turn fiery red in the Fall and Winter.
Abelia
A semi-evergreen shrub with small leaves and sprays of small flowers lasting late- Summer to Fall. It's compact growth habit makes it great for landscapes. Leaves change from green to yellow to vibrant orange depending on variety.