Even though summer is over, there are plenty of colorful plants in your garden before winter sets in. You can add even more color to your garden as trees and shrubs begin to show their fall leaves, and as fall-blooming perennials go. By planting a few cold-tolerant annuals. They're perfect for replacing tired plants in your summer container gardens, pulling into beds and borders for seasonal interest, or adding a fresh look to your front door, patio or deck in the fall.
As your garden transitions from summer to fall, use these fall annuals to fill empty spaces in your landscape.
1. Pansy
The cheerful, edible flowers of this popular cold-tolerant plant come in every color, including red, orange, yellow, white, purple, blue, and almost black, as shown here. Pansies are often grown as annuals, especially when used in container gardens, but they are actually short-lived perennials that are hardy in zones 6-11. If they are planted in the ground, they will survive the winter in these areas, blooming again the following spring. Plant them in full to first partial sun about 6-8 weeks before your area's first frost date.
2. Strawflower
Strawflower is not only colorful – it adds beautiful texture to your garden. It has hard, papery petals that are especially useful for dried flower crafts. Strawflowers usually appear in yellow, orange, red, pink and white. Plant them in full sun and well-drained soil. Strawflower is frost tolerant, so protect from freezing temperatures for long-lasting, continuous blooms.
3. Ornamental Peppers
These hardy annuals will spice up any garden. Ornamental peppers are easy to grow for their colorful fruits in red, orange, yellow, blue, purple and black. Some ornamental peppers are spicy-hot, while others have non-spicy fruits and are safe to grow around small children.
In addition to their fruits, some varieties also display their brightly colored leaves. Plant in full sun and well-drained soil. Like strawflowers, these fall annuals don't tolerate frost well, so they should be covered or protected when that time comes.
4. Flowering Kale
Although flowering kale is related to the types of kale you want to grow for eating, it's usually more of an ornamental than an edible plant because it has thick, tough leaves. Despite the name, this kale doesn't technically bloom, but the inner leaves are often white, pink, or purple. Pair it with mixed pansies and you have a beautiful seasonal display that holds up well in freezing temperatures. Plant in full sun for best color.
5. Calibrachoa
Calibrachoa is another favorite annual flower known for its bright colors and easy care. Although it is generally considered a summer annual, Calibracho also tolerates cool temperatures well. It is a staple for fall annual container gardens and sheds especially beautifully from a hanging basket. Jewel-tone flowers come in almost every color, so they coordinate well with any design theme you can imagine. Plant in a location with full sun and well-drained soil.
6. Calendula
Calendula comes in cheerful orange, yellow, and white colors, making it the perfect flower for fall displays. Also known as pot marigold, calendula blooms best in cool weather during fall and spring. Seed heads develop and eventually fall to the ground to self-seed, but this plant does not outgrow control. Plant calendula in your garden border or in a mixed container.
7. Sweet alysm
Also popular in spring gardens, sweet alyssum is a hardy annual that can handle light frosts. Its frothy flowers are sweet-smelling and attract pollinators. The flowers are usually white, which easily blends in with other fall-flowering plants, but some varieties have deep purple, pale pink, and peach flowers.
0 Comments