My antidote to mumdom
Late summer/early fall is a problem for me—and it may be for many of you as well. The problem is that I really, really hate so many of the plants that are recommended for this time slot. Autumn Joy sedum? Ew. Ornamental cabbage? Ew. MUMS? EW! EW! EW!
The persistence of my favorite annuals—as well as the blooms of such truly classy fall plants as sweet autumn clematis and Japanese anemone—help me make it through the late summer/fall months.
Perhaps nature’s plan is to make it easier for us to accept the passing of summer by choosing end-of-season plants that are so easy to relinquish. Yet, in some ways I love this season. I love the plants you’re not supposed to love: the non-native goldenrod, the toxic and invasive pokeweed, the wild asters. I seek these plants out and cut them for huge, sculptural arrangements, the purple stems and berries of the pokeweed contrasting with the sulphur yellow goldenrod, with the unruly sprays of wild boltonia as a backdrop. Indeed, one of my keenest pleasures of this time of year is to find and create such an arrangement.
When I do, I’ll post it here. It's early yet.
The persistence of my favorite annuals—as well as the blooms of such truly classy fall plants as sweet autumn clematis and Japanese anemone—help me make it through the late summer/fall months.
Perhaps nature’s plan is to make it easier for us to accept the passing of summer by choosing end-of-season plants that are so easy to relinquish. Yet, in some ways I love this season. I love the plants you’re not supposed to love: the non-native goldenrod, the toxic and invasive pokeweed, the wild asters. I seek these plants out and cut them for huge, sculptural arrangements, the purple stems and berries of the pokeweed contrasting with the sulphur yellow goldenrod, with the unruly sprays of wild boltonia as a backdrop. Indeed, one of my keenest pleasures of this time of year is to find and create such an arrangement.
When I do, I’ll post it here. It's early yet.
Comments
Sedums, though, are different. I'm all over 'Matrona' for fall color. And I love it when the grasses start to turn different shades of rust, and the baptisia glow yellow, and the oakleaf hydrangeas crimson up, and the hostas turn to acid chartreuse before they brown and crumble...
I'd like something to look at in the winter, and most of the things that come to mind want to stay dry in the summer...
I suggest high, late blooming perennials and annuals, such as rudbeckia triloba Prairie Glow and nicotiiana Bella. Maybe gallium verum, but good luck findng that.
Roses work well, also.
Would I give them space in my garden beds? Not likely.
Expensive though, for the short time they are alive--I just try to spin out the annuals as long as I can. (Late season shots of fertilizer and plenty of water for all the containers!)
Maybe because we have cooler temperatures, we're no where near 'end of season' yet. There are still daylilies, monarda, echinacea, oriental lilies, sedums, and even peony-leaved poppies happening here; with fall asters and most helenium yet to come. Lots of lavatera too, in fact lots of all kinds of things. I really recommend Helenium to anyone who has the right growing conditions, as it's a lovely and oft underutilized perennial.
Whoops, sorry to run on so long; it's just that I find there are all kinds of things still to be happy about (and I'm in autumn denial, too!)