As summer is winding down, so are many plants in the Vermont landscape. The key to a beautiful backyard garden design is being sure to incorporate plants that have varying bloom times throughout the growing season. You may think that this is easier said than done, but with a little research, a visit to your local garden center or the help of a Landscape Designer, you can have a beautiful garden from early spring to the 1st fall frost.
An example of a landscape with varying bloom times would be to incorporate Iris, Cranesbill Geranium, Peonies, Daylily, Black-Eyed Susan and Aster into the garden. The color and interest will be spread from May to October starting with the Iris and Geranium, progressing to the Peony and Daylily, transitioning to the Black-Eyed Susan and then finally the Aster.
Click here for more information on our Landscape Design services, or if you are up for the challenge of incorporating fall blooming perennials into your own garden, here are a few perennials that can provide your Vermont Landscape with some late summer / early fall color:
Achillea (Yarrow)
This is an old fashion perennial that has been seen in Vermont Landscapes for generations. It has wispy grey-green almost lacy foliage. The flowers range in colors from white, yellow, pink and red. This long blooming perennial should be deadheaded when blooms are spent. It prefers moist well drained soils, but is also drought tolerant.
Aster Novae-angliae (New England Aster)
This is a favorite fall blooming perennial and is a native. The dark purple – vibrant dark pink bloom colors are welcomed this time of year, as many fall blooming plants tend to be more yellows to reds. This is a pretty problem free easy to grow perennial that will provide the garden with some color from late August until October.
Helenium (Sneeze Weed)
This is a native wildflower that comes in colors that range from yellow, orange to red. Several varieties that are made up of more than one of these vibrant colors. This perennial blooms from July to late September and should be deadheaded to promote longer blooms.
Rudbeckia (Black-Eyed Susan)
This is an low maintenance native perennial. Blooming from July to late September into October, you will certainly get bang for your buck with the vibrant gold color of this plant. There are several varieties of this perennial with varying heights, so you can choose the one that is appropriate for your growing space.
Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ (Stonecrop)
Like all Sedums it is draught tolerant and prefers to be planted in full sun. This variety is known for it’s fall color and has small clusters of flowers of dark pink flowers in September and October. This perennial will outlast most of the other herbaceous plants you have in your garden, and will still look great well into the late fall.
