Best Plants for the Fall Garden
Fall garden plantings can be so much more than Chrysanthemums (mums). Don’t get me wrong, I love Mums and tuck them around my home and garden, but there are so many other options that will add interest, color and texture through the season.
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Annuals
There are some incredible options for annuals that do well in both containers and the garden. Next time you visit your local nursery, take a look at the Ornamental Grasses, Ornamental Peppers, Millet, Ornamental Kale, and Winter Pansies.
When the temps officially cool down for fall, I love to plant Winter Pansies in the garden. These Pansies add fall color, will overwinter and bounce back in spring. It’s a great way to save a few bucks because you won’t need to purchase them again in spring if you plan ahead now. Pansies do not last through the dog days of summer so you’ll get more out of them by planting them in fall!
Perennials
While annuals provide seasonal color, I plant perennials as much as possible because they return yearly and add color without having to plant every year. Perennials I love to add to for fall color include: Asters, Ornamental Grass, Japanese Anemones, Sedums and Joe Pye Weed.
While it is true they are a little more work because they need to be cleaned up in fall or spring, they attract lots of pollinators including butterflies, hummingbirds and bees. And if you plan it well, you can have a succession of blooms through the entire growing season.
Sedum Autumn Joy
My favorite fall blooming perennial is Sedum Autumn Joy. It is a four season, low-maintenance plant that is super easy to propagate. It adds greenery to the garden in spring, color and texture with its chartreuse flower buds in summer, they produce an array of pink blooms throughout fall and the dried seed heads add winter interest. Not to mention, I use the dried seed heads in floral arrangements and winter container plantings.
Want to increase your stock? Dig and divide these plants or take a cutting and plant it directly in the ground – it’s that easy to propagate!
Late Flowering Trees and Shrubs
Since fall is a great time to plant, consider adding late flowering trees and shrubs to add fall color without the extra work of planting annuals. Shrubs and trees help anchor smaller plants in the garden and provide interest through the changing seasons. When I consider flowering trees and shrubs, I also look at what their foliage does in fall.
Some late flowering trees and shrubs that I have and love are: Caryopteris, Callicarpa, Oak Leaf Hydrangea, Hydrangea Paniculata, and Burning Bush (doesn’t flower but the foliage is absolutely incredible in fall). There are  many others so do your research for what grows best in your climate.
Now Let’s Tour My Garden and Talk Fall Plantings
So I picked up a few plants this week at the nursery. Not that I have much room in some of my borders, but hey, I’ll make them fit! They look so amazing and I can’t wait to show you!
Front Garden
When I went to the nursery this week, I picked up some Asters and annual Ornamental Grass. The Asters really grabbed my attention because they are a gorgeous shade of purple. I had to have them! I also picked up some Ornamental Grass because I love how the fronds adds much movement to the front border.
Since this border spans the width of my house, I bought five plants of each for the front border. When designing a garden, plant in odd numbers. Odd numbers are more aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
The biggest change to this garden is my freshly painted front door! Doesn’t it look great? I spent Labor Day Weekend changing it from red to black. I chose a soft black, which almost looks more like a dark charcoal gray, but I love how it looks with my garden!
Mailbox Garden
To fill in the holes where I cut back my Daylillies, I tucked in 2 Asters to flank the Sedum and they look awesome!!! I love that it adds that vibrant purple color where my Jackmanii Clematis is fading.
Well Garden
The Well Garden is starting to wind down. My Phlox and Peonies are starting to get a powdery mildew so I’ll need to cut them back soon to neaten up the bed.
Right now, the stunners in this garden are Caryopteris and Callicarpa. Caryopteris is a gorgeous late summer flowering shrub with these bluish-purple blooms. The bees love this shrub and it looks amazing paired with my Zebra Grass and Smoketree.
In addition to Caryopteris, Callicarpa, aka Beautyberry, has grown the purple berries I told you about a few blogs ago. This is one of the main reasons I love this shrub – check out the photos below to see why.
Backyard Gardens
Nothing says fall more than my backyard borders right now. They look so festive and amazing! I noticed some of the Hostas and Raspberry leaves are starting to brown. Combined with the Sedum, Ornamental Grass and Joe Pye Weed, this garden is totally giving me the fall feels!
As I walked these beds, I noticed my double flowering Impatiens are starting to yellow and lose their leaves. This is a sign they are almost done for the season. Since these plants are finishing out their summer show, my container gardens are starting to say good-night.
What Do You Think?
I am so excited to get back to the nursery and add fall touches to my home and garden. What was your favorite garden this week? I would love to know – let me know what you think in the comments here. And be sure to follow me @bricksnblooms on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram where I share lots of the behind-the-scenes of my home, garden and personal life.
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Final Thoughts
I hope you enjoyed this week’s garden tour and appreciate you joining me! If you missed a few tours or want to see how the garden has progressed during the growing season, you can see them here:
- 1st Week – Bulbs and Early Spring Perennials
- 2nd Week – Cool Season Vegetables and Spring Flowers
- 3rd Week – Growth, Change and Everblooming Design
- 4th Week – Growth and Transition in the Spring Garden
- 5th Week – Container Gardens and Outdoor Living Spaces
- 6th Week – Adding Color with Annuals
- 7th Week – The Importance of a Tidy Border
- 8th Week – How to Create a Hummingbird Garden
- 9th Week – Spring to Summer Transition
- 10th Week – Summer Perennials, Pest and Disease Control
- 11th Week – Summer Gardening and Patriotic Decor
- 12th Week – Caring for Gardens While On Vacation
- 13th Week – How to Create a Butterfly Garden
- 14th Week – Midsummer Flowers
- 15th Week – Summer to Fall Transition in the Garden
- 16th Week – Tidying Up the Late Summer Flower Garden
- 17th Week – Preparing the Flower Garden for Fall Plantings
Thank you for following along. Happy planting – enjoy your day! xo
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