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September blooms by Catherine Kavassalis |
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SeptemberThe goldenrod is yellow; |
From dewy lanes at morning Helen Hunt Jackson (1831-1885)
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With September comes a delight of colour. Flowers like our native Helen's flower (Helenium autumnale) continue to flourish, while decorative fruit and seed heads add texture and interest to our gardens. Showy grasses and eye catching shrubs can make the fall garden simply breathtaking. Every garden, sunny or shady, big or small, can support an aster or goldenrod. Woodland asters come in shades of white or blue to pink with more vibrant colors available for sunnier sites. While goldenrods are often thought of as coarse and aggressive, there are many garden-worthy species and cultivars like Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks', S. sphacelata 'Golden Fleece', and S. roanensis (Roan Mountain goldenrod). Try zigzag goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis) in a shady corner. If space allows, a mixture of asters, goldenrods and ornamental grasses like the lovely Panicum virgatum 'Heavy Metal' can make a truly stunning fall display. This combination is particularly delightful when attended by our migrating monarchs. Unfortunately my dry limey soil does not provide the right conditions for the gorgeous brilliant blue gentians that would have thrived in the moist meadows and woods near poet Helen Jackson’s home in Amherst, Massachusetts. There are however 24 native species within Gentianaceae in Ontario and a huge variety from around the world - many suited to our local conditions. Look to nurseries like Hortico or Lost Horizons for an interesting selection. If you love blues, and gentians won’t work for you either, consider the fall blooming monkshoods. In late September, the East Asian Carmichael's monkshood (try Aconitum carmichaelii ‘Arendsii’) provides intense tall spikes of deep violet-blue hooded flowers. Though poisonous, aconitum can light up a partly shady spot, tucked safely toward the back of a perennial bed. Many fall blooming plants can be unruly, particularly in the small garden. To some extent, these plants can be kept in form by pinching back. Starting in spring, when the plants are about 10cm (4 inches) tall, remove about half of the new growth at the top of each and every shoot. Keep pinching the plant back whenever a branch exceeds 10cm until early to mid July. After that, let the plant start forming buds and you will achieve the same inviting mound of blooms produced by nurseries. Elderberry (Sambucus spp.), serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.), snowberry (Symphoricarpos spp.), winterberry (Ilex spp.) are simply a few shrubs (many native species) that provide colorful berries extending garden colour well into winter and providing food for wildlife. Additional suggestions for the fall garden can be found in a nice book called Fallscaping by Nancy Ondra and Stephanie Cohen (2007). I will post additional plant lists online. On a technical note, with the advent of genetic analysis, there has been considerable shifting of plants across genera. In addition, hybridization within genera has become so prevalent that it can be difficult to trace origins of certain plants. Thus, as you can imagine, there is confusion in the naming of plants in the trades. This is no more evident then in fall blooming plants. For instance, plants labeled as Aster ericoides, the old name for our native heath aster now Symphyotricum ericoides, are almost invariably cultivars or hybrids involving the European garden plants S. dumosum, S. lateriflorum, S. pilosum or S. racemosum. This is a particularly important consideration for those interested in preserving native species. --------------------------------------------------May toads nestle in your flower beds and keep the slugs at bay.
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Resources, References and Interesting tidbits:
A few suggestions for fall blooming perennials (and other plants
of interest)
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