Fall Flower and Foliage Color

Have your summer annuals died early this year? Did these normally robust flowering plants have a fungal problem because of the cool, damp weather in August? Or perhaps your perennials have finished flowering and your hydrangea flowers turned brown as a result of the hot, dry weather in July. For all of these reasons Cape Cod gardens can use new plantings at this time of year and there are many great options for fall color.

• Mums are the traditional fall flower, of course. They are particularly good for providing color in September and early October. Just be sure not to let them dry out once you have them planted. Water mums well at least twice a week in warm weather and every five days when the weather is cooler. Don’t let them get so dry that the foliage droops because this will shorten the life of the flowers.
• Ornamental Cabbage and Kale provide long-lasting fall color that actually intensifies as the temperatures drop. Plant these in September for pretty color, texture and form through December! Combine these with Snow Princess Lobularia for the most long-lasting beauty in the fall and early-winter garden. NOTE: spray ornamental cabbage and kale with Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew to kill cabbage moth larvae and scatter Sluggo in the area to keep slugs from damaging these plants.
• Snow Princess Lobularia is one of the best new annuals for cold-season flowering. Many gardeners see that this plant sails through several frosts and blooms into December. Did you know that your Snow Princess Lobularia (aka alyssum) is raised in New England? Yes, these Proven Winners come from Pleasant View Gardens in New Hampshire.
• Grasses are perfect for providing fall textures in the garden and in containers. We carry small pots of annual grasses and large containers of perennials that will return again next spring. Here’s a hint for those who plant grasses in the fall: once they fade in early winter, don’t cut them down. Newly planted grasses survive their first season best if you wait until spring to trim them back.