Keep the flowers coming with these late bloomers to keep the garden colorful this Autumn!
One of my favorite things about late spring and summer is being able to plant in my garden but, my absolute favorite season is autumn. This post is going to show you how to keep the beautiful blooms continuing into fall! Everywhere you go during fall you see chrysanthemums (mums) for sale. Although, they are a very pretty flower and make for great floral arrangements on the front porch. I want to show other fall annuals and perennials you may not know about. My inspiration came from Costa Farms website and their post on fall annuals. All of the the plants covered in this post will make beautiful arrangements and displays together but, also look amazing by themselves
1) Pansy/Viola
Pansies(left) are great for gardens as a groundcover to create little mounds of flowers or for a beautiful hanging basket! What's great about pansies is that when you plant them during the fall they'll come back in the spring! These flowers love the sun and requires to be planted in full sun so, make sure to find a sunny spot for these little sunbathers! They come in a lot of different colors and shades which means it's great for finding the perfect color combination for your fall garden. Some varieties of pansies can even last all winter long for year round color in the garden!
Violas(right) are the cousins to the pansy but, are a more delicate flower. They make a gorgeous arrangement when mixed with pansies and other fall flowers. They do well in part sun/part shade but, they also adopted well in full shade which makes this flower great for any area round the house. Like it's cousin the viola also comes in a large range of colors and shades.
2) Croton
Croton are great for outside and for potted indoor house plants! If you live somewhere that stays relatively warm during winter and doesn't see much frost this plant can make for great pop of color as shrubbery. The plant has very rich colors of red, orange, yellow, purple, and sometimes even black. Croton can make for amazing annual foliage to mix with flowers, pumpkins, and straw for a beautiful decorative front porch. When they are placed outside they thrive best in full sun or in partial shade. They require bright light when indoors and they purify the air which makes it great to keep in bedrooms. If you do decided to add this to your house plant collection just be careful because this plant is toxic to pets. Make sure to keep the plant away from any curious pets you may have. I might have to pick a couple up for myself to put on the front porch with my pumpkins!
3) Aster
Aster is great for planting in gardens because it's a perennial which means the plant will keep coming back every year. They also make great cut flowers to bring inside to bring a little color to your fall decor. The aster flower makes for a great pop of color in fall with its purple, pink, blue, and white flowers. If your'e looking for a flower to attract butterflies than this is a great flower! Bees and butterflies love to feed off of these flowers. Make sure to plant them where they will get plenty of sun. They also do great in containers since they come in a lot of different sizes. The best part about growing these flowers is how easy they are to take care of. These are great if your'e just starting your garden!
4) Blacked-Eyed Susan
Black-eyed susans are one of my personal favorites and I look forward to when mine bloom every year. They are a late bloom perennial which means they bloom late summer into fall and come back every year. They are great for gardens that are in full sun or in gardens that receive a little of morning or afternoon shade. These are another super easy flower to grow and maintain and are prefect for beginner gardeners. They will need a little maintenance or they will take over your garden. Their greenery tends to spread out so when planting them make sure to provided them with plenty of room to grow. These flowers are great for attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies! Black-eyed susans make a great fall flower and will complement mums and asters. They will also do well in pots!
5) Dianthus
Dianthus can either be an annual or a perennial depending on the type you get. They are another plant that likes to soak up the sun so make sure they are planted in a full sun location. The best part about these flowers is that not only do they attract butterflies but they also attract hummingbirds. They are also deer and rabbit resistant which means these critters will ignore the plant and won't eat the flowers! These flowers are known for their amazing scent which makes them ideal to plant around your front entrance for when gust visit. Or they can be ideal for your back patio for when your enjoying your coffee in the morning. They come in a range of white, pink, and reds! The dianthus is also another great low maintenance flower to take care of!
6) Flowering Kale
Lastly, we have the flowering kale which is the cousin to the flowering cabbage. I wanted to include a plant that's not very common and honestly I have never heard of this plant before now. The flowering kale needs at least six hours in the sun so, this is another plant that should be planted in full sun. Since, this plant is very hardy if you live where you have mild weather year round this plant will last through winter. They are a super easy plant to grow in all areas and make for a great plant if your'e just staring to get into gardening! Flowering kale has beautiful foliage with its green, pink, purple, red, and white leafs for a nice pop of color in fall. With their colors and texture they will look great with other fall flowers. They especially look great when planted with or near sweet alyssums and pansies. Some articles I've seen said not to eat flowering kale but, others have said you can eat the leafs. I recommend playing it save and just admire the plant for it's beauty and not using the leaves for salad.
If you want to get the full list of Costa Farm's 12 fall annual flowers click the link to their blog post! They are a great website for free tips and facts about flowers and plants. They also have their own farm and their plants can be found at most garden stores. I know all of the plants I've gotten from them have done very well! You can also go to any garden store to find these beautiful plants that I talked about in the post. Also make sure to check your local plant nursery for some amazing fall blooms. Most of the flowers and plants included in this post are great if your'e just getting started with gardening. They are easy to grow and are hardy. Most of them are great for both gardens and pots! Let me know which plant was your favorite and the flowers you'll be adding to your garden this fall! Also let me know what your favorite fall bloom is in the comments!