My favourite part of autumn is Halloween, and the cooler
days. There’s the shorter days, cozy nights, and bonfire night to look forward
to.
Having flowers blooming all through the autumn elevates the
colours in your garden, and keeps pollinators visiting for an extended period.
Pick from my list of 16 plants to
arrange your perfect garden!
 |
Photo by American Meadows
|
1) Rudbeckia / Cornflower / Black Eyed Susan
The bright yellow cornflower is contrasted with the deep
black centre. They grow well and flower in full sun, in slighty damp soil. Even
though they enjoy full sun, they can wilt in dry periods.
 |
Photo by Pixabay
|
2) Pansy
You will find pansies in abundance in garden centers and
nurseries. They are cultivated for their striking colours including yellow,
gold, orange, purple, violet, red, white, and even near-black (very dark
purple). To extend the blooming period, regularly deadhead and also give them
plant food for better flowers.
 |
Photo by Formulator Sample Shop
|
3) Calendula
They are a beautiful and fiery autumnal colour, and
calendula oil has great healing properties - antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and
antibacterial. You can use the petals in cooking, some examples are as a
saffron alternative, to add colour to food, or to be used in salads.
 |
Photo by Tamar Organics (left), laajala (right)
|
4) Snapdragon
If you prefer more gothic plants, snapdragons are an
unlikely pick! After they flower, the seed heads appear to be tiny skulls – I
will definitely try to grow these just for the skulls. This tall plant will
grow well in full to partial sun and well-draining soil
 |
Photo by my.chicagobotanic.org
|
5) Aster
To plant: choose a time when it is cool in the evening (no
hot midday sun!), full to partial sun, well draining soil, and add a bit of
compost before planting your asters. There are around 180 species, my favourite
being ‘Aster × frikartii 'Mönch'.
 |
Photo by horticulture.co.uk
|
6) Marigold
I find marigolds very interesting (due to the variety), sizes are between 0.1 to
2.2m tall, colours are golden, orange, yellow, and white with maroon highlights,
some have a scent that is said to deter pests, and some species are perennials.
For companion planting, go for tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, tobacco and
potatoes – or any plants that get targeted by nematodes
 |
Photo by Tin Man Gardening
|
7) Echinacea / coneflower
Coneflowers are a great choice for drier climates as they
are drought tolerant and have taproots that are well adapted for this! They are
known for their use in herbal medicine (curing colds, treating cancer, fighting
body infections) although, these claims are not scientifically proven. Getting
on to care, grow in full sun, deadhead the flowers and let them go to seed for
the birds to eat.
 |
Photo by Eddington House Nursery
|
8) Verbena
Let this plant get around 10 hours of sun a day, great for
that small patch in your garden that burns any other plant to a crisp. As long
as it has well draining soil, you can continue to adore the dainty purple
flowers and all of the butterflies it attracts.
 |
Photo by The Kokoro Garden
|
9) Zinnia
Another plant that’s in the daisy family is the zinnia, a
solitary flower that is native to scrub and dry grasslands. If you are a
beginner gardener, they are a great choice: grow them from seed and they will
grow very quickly and easily. Make sure you plant it before frost, then you can
grow them at any point onwards.
 |
Photo by Katorisi via. Wikipedia
|
10) Chrysanthemums
Chrysanthemum tea is one of my favourites to have from my
tea garden, grown from the species ‘morifolium’ and ‘indicum’. They have great
properties including reducing indoor air pollution (according to a NASA study),
they are used as a natural insecticide, and chrysanthemum tea is rich in
potassium.
 |
Photo by daisyshop
|
11) Strawflower
Strawflowers have a very fantasy movie look with their
bright and flat flowers. They require barely any care (great for busy people)
as all you need to do is water the plants when the soil feels a bit dry and
deadhead frequently. Ensure that they will be thriving during the summer as
these Australian natives hate the frost.
 |
Photo by Floret Flowers
|
13) Dahlia
The geometric pattern of the petals will add angles and
sharp points in your flowerbed. Their tubers are adapted to go dormant in the
cold, so you will need to dig them up and store them somewhere safe and dry
over the winter. Once it starts to warm up again, plant them about 10cm into
the soil and keep an eye on if they need staking
 |
Photo by (unknown)
|
14) Nasturtium
For anyone with kids, nasturtiums are easy to grow and look
very whimsical as they grow on their vines, they will have lots of fun caring
for them and tying them up on a trellis. They thrive in poor soil so you don’t
have to buy anything special for them. Shelter them from the wind and keep the
soil moist, but not wet.
 |
Photo by Gardener's Path
|
15) Dusty Miller
A beautiful ‘winter wonderland’ themed plant is the ‘dusty
miller’ (or ‘Silver ragwort’). Grow this perennial shrub in flowerbeds or
containers with moderately fertile and well-draining soil. Make sure to keep an
eye on it as it is susceptible to a few pests and to rust.
 |
Photo by Little Prince Plants
|
16) Japanese Toad Lily
The Tricyrtis hirta
is a Japanese perennial lily that is very hardy and grows naturally on shaded
rocky cliffs and stream banks. Just like stream banks, grow them in a shady
part of the garden that has rich and moist soil (if you had a woodland garden,
they would be a striking addition). Just like other lilies, remember to cut
back the dead foliage before the winter.
----> Thank you for taking the time to read my blog, Nate.
Comments
Post a Comment