All the wonderful Fall flowers are beginning to bloom here at Woodland Cottage as the Summer flowers fade away for their year-long rest. Sad, in a way, to see the garden sliding into dormancy, yet exciting, too, as we watch another gardening season unfold for the last hurrah. Maybe that’s why I love my garden so much in the Autumn–because while so many other gardens are looking tired and ready to retire, mine is bursting into the next seasonal show. And what an Autumn show it is. The next two months are beautiful here at Woodland Cottage.
Fall-blooming Anemone, Anemone x hybrida. I think the variety is 'Max Vogel'.
My Anemones bloom all of September into October. The flower stalks are about three feet high.
Sweet Autumn Clematis, Clematis maximowicziana (also known as Clematis paniculata).
The scent of the Sweet Autumn Clematis is heavenly. It starts blooming around Labor Day and goes through September into October. It’s a very fast-growing, deciduous vine…I do groom mine every week or so, just to make sure it is not climbing where it is not wanted. My vines cover my neighbor’s chainlink fence (and does a great job of it). I prune the vines to the ground–literally–after the first freeze. They grow fresh every year.
Variegated Liriope, Liriope muscari 'Variegata'.
A great plant for edging beds, pathways or massing. It’s also available with deep green leaves. These are evergreen, for the most part, though they get a little ratty by late Winter. I’ve found the variegated type seems to lie flat on the ground in the Winter, where the green seems to be more upright. I usually cut them all to the ground in early Spring, and the new growth starts up in April. Flowers appear from August on.
Perennial Begonia, Begonia grandis.
These are just glorious. They start blooming in July, and just keep going. They do die back in Winter and arise every Spring, usually later than most perennials. Interestingly, they spread by seed, so scatter them around if you want to expand their range in your garden.
Here's another view of the perennial Begonia along my back patio...
...and another view. I get such pleasure from these for weeks on end.
Toad Lily, Tricyrtis hirta.
Toad Lilies get a bad rap for their name…as you can see, they are beautiful. They look like little orchids to me, and they appear in late September through October on two-foot high plants. The stems arc beautifully. They die back in Winter.
Kirengeshoma palmata, Yellow Waxbells.
I only have one of these, and I love it. The large, broad leaves are stunning and the plant makes a statement. It is just coming into bloom and the color is a good sulphur yellow. It dies back in Winter.
Still yet to come in my garden: Fall-blooming Camellias, Tea Olives, Chysanthemums, Goldenrod, and all the brilliant Fall color, of course.
Photos by the author. If you copy, please link back.
Posted under The Fall Garden
This post was written by Jeff Minnich on September 22, 2011
