By Kathy Henderson
Gardening Columnist
Often we think of the end of summer as the end of our landscape garden’s beauty. These cool mornings and evenings give us a perfect time just to walk through the garden and admire some very special plants that show their best sides in the autumn. These are plants that can be enjoyed now and it’s the perfect time to plant them.
Sparkling Burgundy (Camellia sasanqua) is one that never disappoints. In sun or light shade (my choice) it blooms prolifically every fall for weeks. If we have an early frost, the petals of the open flowers may be affected but the closed buds will still open beautifully. Its ultimate height and width is about 6‘- 10’ – give it plenty of room to grow wide and tall.
Orange-flowered Fragrant Tea Olive (Osmanthus fragrans aurantiacus) is a very large shrub or small tree that is probably 20-25 feet tall and almost as wide in my garden. Its sweet-scented clusters of tiny orange flowers appear in September for just a week or so and then carpet the ground. This evergreen plant makes a beautiful specimen or an awesome border in your landscape. Sun or light shade is best.
Beautyberry (Callicarpa americanus) is a gift from God in our natural landscape. It is abundant in my woodland and because the birds love the seed (and so do my chickens and peacocks), it comes up throughout the fence rows and wherever the birds stop to rest. It appears all over my yard and though it often crowds other shrubs, I leave it so I can enjoy the beauty of its bright clusters of tiny purple berries combined with yellow fall leaf color. Sun or shade – 6’ tall or you can cut it down in late winter to keep it compact.
Spider or Surprise Lilies (Lycoris radiata) are seen in yards everywhere in September and October. These red, spidery flowers pop up out of the ground without any foliage and tend to cluster in groups. They multiply over the years quite rapidly in sun or shade. A more lily-like pink flower (Lycoris squami-gera) and an even larger pink flower (Amaryllis belladonna) that are both called Naked Ladies emerge the same way. These grow about 1-2 feet tall. What fun surprises in the garden!
Angel Trumpets (Brugmansia sp.) seem to bloom profusely as the fall season progresses. Shades of pink, yellow, orange or white blooms fill the plants until frost. This half-hardy perennial shrub dies down in the winter and emerges in the spring to grow about 5-10 feet tall, depending on the variety. The blooms have a sweet fragrance in the evening. These can stop traffic if they get about 10 feet tall and have 50+ flowers on them. The flowers are about 12 inches long.
Blue Asters or Michaelmas Daisies (Aster sp. and cultivars) are wonderful perennial additions to a shrub border as long as you are not looking for a formal, tidy plant. They tend to spread, and flop around very casually but are the best blue plant I can think of for this season. Such a show! You can get a variety of hues and sizes by choosing several cultivars. Easier to grow and longer lasting than most Chrysanthemums.
For more beautiful fall showoffs in your garden, visit Kathy’s Plants on Facebook. Make sure you get the site in Locust Grove. Here you will see photos of all these plants that I have in my garden and even some that I don’t. I like to share information, so visit often and like my page.
