Landscape design is all about having visual interest in every season. Though nature is just beginning to wind things down here in Indiana, late summer/early fall can be a gorgeous time in your garden. Below we offer some suggestions to keep your garden colorful and lush before the cooler weather arrives.
Echinacea (Coneflower)
This classic example of late summer (and early spring) bloomers comes in a large variety of colors, from pinks to yellows to reds. Their wide variety of bloom features makes them easy to fit into any landscape design. As fairly robust plants, they handle drought well and are lower maintenance though rabbits do tend to like them quite a bit. Partial shade is fine though they prefer to be in full sun. Use Coneflowers in groupings, as an addition to a perennial border, or tucked in among rocks.
Aster
We would say these plants define fall nearly as much as Mums. They do require that you wait out their boring growth season as they charge up their flower power and explode on to the scene roughly this time of year. The “meh” side of Aster leads Sam to have mixed feelings about this plant. However, when placed among other plants that provide summer interest, it is undeniably gorgeous when in bloom. There are many varieties of Aster available so you can choose from a lot of shapes, sizes and colors. They should be planted in full sun, and generally require lower maintenance, though they benefit from deadheading spent blooms. For a late-season bonanza of color, mix Aster with Coneflowers and Goldenrod or Butterfly Weed.
Dianthus
Dianthus are beautiful perennials, but one needs to make sure to pick the right one for late-season color. Many varieties of Dianthus are spring-only bloomers, so be sure to check the labels before you purchase. Choose the right one and you will have a prolonged bloom of pinks, reds and whites that can reach into the late summer months. Dianthus are not low maintenance per se, but neither are they prima donnas. We love to use them as a splash of color to just about any full sun landscape design.
Allium
Like Dianthus, you need to know which variety of Allium you are buying before purchasing since some Allium bloom in spring or other parts of summer. They come in lots of shapes and sizes and the flowers are either white or purple. A bulb, Allium are easy to plant and forget about as they are very low maintenance. Another plant that does not offer a lot of interest when not in bloom, they do however look great in groupings or planted on their own. Sprinkling multiple varieties around your yard in full sun will give you splashes of color popping up all growing season.
Verbena
Verbena is an annual here in Central Indiana, bit it will bloom non-stop from the minute
you plant it until the first frost. A remarkably floriferous plant, it provides a showstopper of
color. Blooms are a combination of yellows, reds, pinks and oranges and are beautiful in a
landscape, potting arrangement, or flower box. We also love to tuck them into rocks, so
they spill out over the stone. Verbena is low maintenance, but like all plants, it will
need additional water during a drought or on particularly hot days, especially if you plant
them in pots or flowerboxes.
Sedum
Arguably the drought-tolerant king in our area, Sedum are extremely resilient once established in the landscape. They add easy-to-care-for interest during the growing season and then have salmon or pink colored blooms at the end of the summer. Honeybees and butterflies love them! Just about any full sun location will work for this plant, though we like to use them in groupings or rock gardens.
As always there are many more options available, but we feel these varieties are some really solid contenders for “best” late summer bloomers. Do you have a favorite that we have not mentioned? Leave a comment – we’d love to hear about it.
