Fall Perennial Color

With the cooler weather comes some amazing color. With the leaves turning and

less heat to wilt the flowers I thought I would expound on the virtues of some fall favorites.

Above are pictured the quintessential fall bloomer: the mum- chrysanthemums to be exact.

They are often used as potted plants but are great in the garden and bloom for a long period of time. They are great cut flowers and last well even with dry stems.

Other favorites in fall include Salvias or Sages which come in lots of colors and are great summer and fall blooming small shrubs or flowering perennials. Also a big favorite with hummingbirds!Asters which are not that common here but are wonderful for late summer and fall. They are medium to tall daisies.

Coleus which is largely a foliage plant and have amazing colored leaves all summer and fall.

These are used as annuals in pots mostly but will sometimes over-winter and last for more than one year. I actually miss these when I don't plant them for the summer because they are so lovely. Black-eyed Daisies and Blanket Flowers are really good fall colors. They last from summer to fall. Echinacea or Cone Flower is a tall purple daisy with a cone in the center. It blooms summer and fall with the added benefit of being medicinal.

So add some fall flowers to your pumpkin grouping and cheer up the front entry or patio area.

And enjoy the autumn weather after all the summer heat!