Hello GPO-ders!
Today we bring you an update from Jane Watkins in upstate New York. Jane shared her garden with the public a few years ago (see her posts “A Colorful Perennial Garden,” “How to Find Plants That Work,” and “Spring After a Harsh Winter”), but today we get a glimpse into her garden as we move into autumn and see the many pinks and purples of the season in bloom.
My name is Jane and I garden in upstate central New York near the Finger Lakes in zone 5b. I’ve been gardening here for nearly 40 years. I’m a Cornell University Cooperative Extension Master Gardener and enjoy working with fellow gardeners as well as my own garden. My challenges are heavy, stony clay soil (great for stone garden walls) and a ravenous deer population. I protect some plants, like my hardy hibiscus, with deer netting, which I plan to move next spring to a more protected, semi-fenced spot in the backyard. I also hang deer netting over my clematis. I try not to use too much, because I don’t want birds and chipmunks to get tangled in the netting. I “hide” deer snacks like phlox and asiatic lilies behind minty-scented monardas and short grasses. I store dahlia tubers in a cooler filled with wood shavings. Grandpa Ott’s morning glories were planted decades ago and grow wild everywhere. The zinnias are grown indoors under grow lights. All the others are hardy perennials.
In late summer, Jane’s garden explodes with color, with coneflowers and black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta; zones 3 to 9) blooming. Although pink isn’t often the first color we think of when picturing fall scenery, it pairs beautifully with the yellows, oranges, and even reds that are so common in autumn.
A close-up of beautiful purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea, zones 4-9) with red switchgrass growing behind it, creating another sensational combination.
Jane mentioned “Grandpa Ott’s” morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea ‘Grandpa Ott’, an annual plant) above. As Jane also mentions, this beautiful plant will easily self-grow and often take over a garden if left unchecked. There is fierce debate as to whether this type of morning glory is invasive or just plain aggressive. Either way, if you decide to plant it in your garden, be careful where you plant it and make sure to remove most of the seed pods before they spread into your neighborhood.
Another pink beauty that has a tendency to become weedy in some places, the anemone (Anemone hupehensis var. japonica, zones 5-7) always amazes me how delicate the late-flowering flowers can be.If I didn’t know better, I would have guessed this was definitely a photo of a spring garden.
Another pink flower that brings an early spring feel to a late spring garden. Creeping phlox (Phlox subulata, zones 2 to 8) has a reputation as a symbol of spring, and many other phlox varieties, such as this beautiful garden phlox (Phlox paniculata, zones 4 to 8), will continue to produce vibrant blooms all summer and sometimes into fall.
Of course, no discussion of the beginning of late summer/early fall garden flowers can be complete without dahlias (Dahlia spp. and cvs., zones 8-11). Jane has a great mix here: I think ‘Otto’s Thrill’ for the big pink variety that towers above the rest, ‘Linda’s Baby’ for the little peach/pink variety, and ‘Le Baron’ for the deep magenta.
It’s not fall without fall foliage, but this Northern Exposure™ Heuchera feels more Halloween than Thanksgiving. Jane labeled this plant as the silver variety of the series (Heuchera x ‘TNHEUNES’, Zones 3-10), but it looks more purple to me (Heuchera x ‘TNHEUNEP’, Zones 3-10). Lighting can have a big effect on how colors and textures appear in the images, so please forgive me if I spot a mislabeled plant.
These beautiful lavender/pink flower spires were new to me. The obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana, zones 3-9) gets its name from its snapdragon-like flowers (though it’s actually a member of the mint family) that “obediently” stay where you tell them to.
While a sensational summer staple, many hardy hibiscus have long bloom periods that continue to bloom well into the season’s end. Summerific® ‘Berry Awesome’ hibiscus (zones 4-9) makes a statement with its beautiful, bright pink flowers, but it also pulls double duty with its equally interesting and atmospheric foliage.
Another beautiful flower that will delight you from the heat of summer through the cooler days of fall, the New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae, zones 4 to 8) is a more pistillate cousin of the New York aster, combined with pink accents from sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus, an annual).
If there’s ever a combination that proves pink and purple deserve a place in the fall color palette, it’s this one: Professor Kippenberg New York Aster (Symphyotrichum novi-belgii ‘Professor Kippenberg’, Zones 4-8) produces periwinkle-blue blooms, Little Lime® Punkle Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Jane’, Zones 3-8) shows off rusty pink fall color, and Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus, Zones 4-9) brings the heat with vibrant red foliage.
The last spectacular flower of Jane’s late season is this silvery beacon lamium (Lamium maculatum ‘Beacon Silver’, Zones 4 to 8). Jane’s garden has several examples that show that not only are the flowers wonderful, but the foliage shouldn’t be forgotten.
Thank you Jane for showing us such wonderful plants! Your garden seems to be doing everything it can, far from slowing down.
If your garden is currently showcasing gorgeous fall colors (even if it’s not in a traditional color palette), we’d love to see it. Follow the instructions below to submit your photos.
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