While it’s too hot now to plant many types of flowers that will bloom this fall, it’s not too hot for all planting. By spending some time now, you can make sure your future fall gardens will be lush with blooms into October.
“Fall flowers are generally borne on either tropical non-native annuals that are sold as bedding plants in garden centers or both native and non-native perennials that are planted in the spring or the fall for flowers the following fall,” Virginia Cooperative Extension agent Kirsten Ann Conrad says.
So now is the time to prep your garden for fall next year. But if you want something to grow in a few months, there is a way.
Annuals are grown from seed and sold usually as young plants. Many will bloom from early summer until the first frost.
“Begonias, impatiens, annual salvia, and many, many more are sold in garden centers everywhere,” says Conrad.
These are not native plants to Virginia, however, so you might have a bit of difficulty getting them to take in NoVA’s soil. Instead, she suggests using native plants.
“Perennials are non-woody plants that live for three years or more,” she says. “Many that we grow here are non-native, but there are many native plants like asters, goldenrod, Joe Pye weed, cardinal flower, hyssop, Boltonia, Echinacea, and Eupatorium-snakeroot, that put on a great fall flower show.”
She says to also consider blue mistflower, Heuchera (hairy alumroot), or Helenium (sneezeweed).
“My favorite very late blooming chrysanthemum is one called Sheffield Pink with creamy apricot-pink daisy-like flowers held above the foliage in October,” Conrad says.
Other plants that put on a big show in the fall are the ornamental grasses that come in all shapes and sizes. Their flowers are generally white, cream, bronze or sometimes pink. “Pink muhly grass is a native that is beautiful, low, and colorful,” she says.
How long do fall flowers last? “It depends on the type of plant, the weather, and your care of it,” Conrad says. “Hydrangea shrubs hold their flowers all summer and into the fall. If annuals get cold weather or are not watered enough during the growing season, they will end their blooming cycle earlier.”
A gardener can prolong blooms by pinching off old flowers and encouraging the plant to produce new ones.
Thinking of going native with your planting? Conrad is a big proponent of growing what naturally takes root in Virginia soil.
“Soil here is useful for growing anything you want to grow,” she says. “The trick is knowing your soil and growing the plants that grow the best in that soil. If you have sandy soil, add organic matter to make it be able to retain more water and nutrients. If you have clay soil, add more organic matter to be able to make the minerals and water in the clay soil more available to plant roots.”
She says be sure to do soil testing. You want the pH level of your soil is “between 6.5 and 6.8, the optimal range for most plant growth.”
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
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