Perennial Profile: Hostas

Striptease

Nothing beats hostas for shade gardens. Coming in sizes from 6 inches to 4 feet, and every size in between, there is a hosta for every size and shape of shade garden. In addition, hostas come in a huge variety of leaf color, pattern, size and shape. In fact, it is estimated that there is over 3,000 varieties of hosta! How's that for variety?

While the number of varieties is overwhelming, hostas can be generally divided by color. Hostas are green, blue, yellow or varigated (which can be any combination of green, blue, yellow or white). 

Hostas are very easy to grow and will do well in full shade to part shade with some of the newer varieties (such as Sum and Substance) doing well in part sun. These plants are fairly drought tolerant and will thrive with very little attention. Plants can be divided at any time in the season, except on the very hottest days.

When planting hostas, choose a variety of colors, sizes and leaf shape. Strive to not have the same varieties planted next to each other for most interesting planting. Hostas also look great with other woodland shade plants such as ferns, astilbe, goat's beard (aruncus), and bleeding heart. 

Some notable varieties include:

Red October

Loyalist: A variegated hosta with green margins and pure white centers. This is a medium-sized hosta that gets 18 inches high and 24 inches wide. 

Red October: A smaller hosta at 10 inches high and 20 inches wide, the most notable feature of this plant is it's red stems that stretch into the bottom of the leaves. The narrow leaves are blue green with white undersides. 

Great Expectations

Great Expectations: This is a slower growing hosta but worth the wait. A variegated hosta, Great Expectations has blue-green margins on large oval puckered leaves. The center color changes from chartreuse to yellow to white throughout the season. It gets 20 inches high to 40 inches wide. 

Sum and Substance: A very large hosta with 16 inch oval leaves, this plant grows to 3 feet high and up to 6 feet wide. A stunning specimen in the garden, Sum and Substance has much better sun tolerance than many hostas. The foliage is a sunny chartreuse, perfect for brightening shade gardens. 

Striptease: An interesting variegated hosta with dark green margins on pointy, oval leaves and light green centers with white outlining. A medium sized plant that grows 20 inches high to 36 inches wide. 

With so many colors, shapes and sizes to choose from there is a hosta perfect for every garden. Choose several of your favorite varieties to plant together for a lush and stunning shade garden.

Perennial Profile: Silver Foliage Plants

Lamb's Ear

Foliage plants provide color, interest, depth and texture to garden beds. One of the most fun foliage colors to work with is silver. Just as the metal is reflective, so are silver foliage plants in the garden. During the day, these plants create reflective areas of light which highlights surrounding plants. At night, the silver foliage is luminescent making them ideal choices for pathway edgings. Silver foliage blends well with cool colors such as blues, purples and pinks and pastels. It also combines well with black, deep purple or deep burgundy foliage plants for a dramatic contrast. 

Another plus for silver foliage is that many of them are incredibly easy to grow, standing up to hot, dry conditions where other plants may struggle. As a bonus, most are resistant to deer and rabbits. There are many different plants with silver foliage both for shade or sun and in many different growth habits. In addition, many silver foliage plants have some of the most "touchable" foliage of all plants, the most notable being Lamb's Ear (Stachys).

While silver brightens shady spots, silver in the sun is a harmonizing color that pulls together contrasting colors. Below are some of the best silver plants for sun. 

Artemisia

Artemisia 'Silver Mound' (also known as Wormwood): This low-growing plant (6-12 inches) is ideal for the front of borders or lining pathways. The delicate, fern like foliage is soft to touch and adds a great contrast to coarse foliage plants. The plant does well in hot, dry areas in the garden and is especially suited to northern summers. 'Silver Mound' will get quite large after a few seasons and can be divided in the spring and fall. To prevent the plant from getting leggy towards the end of summer, shear the plant back to 2 inches in late June. The plant will quickly regrow into a compact mound. 

Lamb's Ear 'Helen Von Stein' (Stachys): The velvety foliage of this plant is nearly irresistible to touch. Lamb's Ear forms a low mat (12-18 inches tall) of large velvety silver leaves. The plant will put out tall semi-pink flowers scapes but often the plant looks much better when these are trimmed off. Lamb's Ear is easy to grow with little care and can be divided in early spring or fall. 

Russian Sage

Russian Sage:This plant's foliage is slightly more green but gives off a silvery glow especially when in bloom with it's airy lavender-blue flowers. Russian Sage gets quite large (24-36 inches tall and wide) making it ideal as a focal point or in the back of borders. In addition to having delicate silvery foliage on a large plant, Russian Sage is aromatic giving off a wonderfully savory scent in the garden. This plant is very drought tolerant. 

These easy to grow perennials will harmonize your garden and provide interesting luminescent pools of light at night. Try some silver foliage plants in your garden to tie together contrasting colors. 

Perennial Profile: Ajuga

Catlin's Giant

Ajuga, or bugleweed as it's commonly called, is one of those plants that looks pretty unassuming in pots on the nursery bench. However, once established in the garden, this plant easily becomes a must have.

Grown primarily for it's foliage, ajuga comes in a variety of colors from green to black to burgundy and from fine textured leaves to very large leaves. In addition to it's gorgeous foliage, the blue flower spikes in spring are stunning and an added bonus to it's glossy, rich foliage. 

Growing 6-10 inches tall and spreading 12-24 inches, ajuga is an excellent ground cover and perfect for difficult areas where other plants won't grow. It prefers light to partial shade for best foliage color but will tolerate full shade or full sun although leaves may become scorched in direct sunlight. It's not terrible fussy about soil as long as it's not soggy.

Catlin's Giant

Ajuga is a dense and vigorous plant which will smother out all but the most tenacious weeds. The plant can be divided at any time of the season and needs little care. As long as it gets adequate snow cover in the winter (not a problem here!), this plant doesn't need any additional mulching in the fall. As with most vigorous plants, ajuga may spread to places where you'd rather not have it such as your lawn. Fortunately, unwanted plants are easily removed and can be contained with simple edging. However, don't let the vigor frighten you off this plant! It's not an aggressively fast growing plant so isn't likely to get out of control before you know it. It's these attributes that make it the perfect ground cover for those difficult places. 

The dramatic foliage and low growing habit of this plant make it a great companion to hostas, astilbe and coral bells. It grows well in rock gardens and along pathways. Don't overlook this gem of a plant when planning your garden beds. You'll love the dramatic foliage and easy growing habit of this plant and be pleasantly surprised with its bright blue blooms in the spring--a welcome addition to any garden!

Perennial Profile: Coral Bells

Berry Smoothie

Coral Bells, often referred to by their botanical name of Heuchera, is an indispensable plant to have in the garden. Most notable for the vast variety of foliage colors, Coral Bells is also a prolific bloomer that attracts hummingbirds and butterflies while being ignored by rabbits and deer. In addition, Coral Bells will often grow in places other plants will not due to their adaptability in regards to sun exposure. Most prefer part sun, but many will tolerate full sun, while some will tolerate almost full shade. This wide rage of sun/shade tolerance makes Coral Bells the perfect plant for eastern and western exposures that receive direct sun for part of the day and many hours of shade as well. This plant will also do well under trees and shrubs. The brilliant foliage of Coral Bells enhances the beauty of surrounding plants. 

Hercules

Coral Bells are generally a low-growing, mounding plant usually about 12-24 inches wide and 12-36 inches tall depending on the cultivar. Although the flower scapes tower up to 18 inches above the plant, the delicate flowers and airy composition of the stems don't detract or hide other plants behind making this plant perfect for borders and edging. Coral Bells are evergreen perennials regardless of snow cover and will be among the first plants to take shape in the spring. One caution is to refrain from cleaning any leaves that appear dead too early in the spring. This plant does not give up it's leaves easily and cleaning the plant too early in the spring often results in killing it. Tolerate the seemingly dead leaves and watch your Coral Bells flourish. If crispy, dead leaves are still present in late June, early July when the plant is flourishing, that would be the time to remove them, however, don't force removal. 

Ruby Bells

Most Coral Bells have simple flowers of white or light pink which do not detract from the brilliant foliage. However, there are exceptions. Both 'Ruby Bells' and 'Hercules' have rather simple green foliage but brilliant flowers of ruby red and cherry red, respectively. 

The foliage of Coral Bells comes in virtually every color from bronze, purple, chartreuse, black, pinks, corals and yellows. There is a color for every garden! Cultivars to check out are 'Berry Smoothie' (fuchsia veined foliage), 'Kassandra' (caramel colored leaves with burgundy backsides), 'Palace Purple' (burgundy colored foliage) and 'Citronelle' (chartreuse).

Regina

Another exception to the brilliant foliage-white flower rule is 'Regina'. This cultivar sports gorgeous deep burgundy leaves with silver overlay and purple undersides. The flowers are a beautiful medium pink which plays wonderfully off the deep foliage color. 


If you're looking for easy to grow plants that will add color and drama to those hard-to-plant spots in your garden, check out Coral Bells. There is sure to be a variety that piques your interest.

Perennial Profile: Daylilies

Baja Daylily

Daylilies are so named because each bloom lasts for one day. However, a healthy plant will have 50 or more blossoms giving it a bloom time of a month or two. In addition to a long bloom time, the foliage of daylilies is the perfect camouflage for declining spring plants such as tulips and daffodils. Daylilies look best when combined with other blooming perennials.

This easy to grow perennial is not terribly finicky about either sun or soil conditions and once established, is difficult to kill. While daylilies perform best in full sun, they will take some shade, although blooming will be less prolific. Daylilies can survive and thrive in hot, dry spots in your yard once established. These characteristics make daylilies perfect plants for spots in the garden where other plants may struggle. 

Some notable varieties include:

Stella d'Oro: Far and away the most prolific blooming daylily. This gold-yellow lily blooms from late June through September. Often called a re-blooming daylily it's really more of an ever-blooming. This is a compact daylily that gets up to 18 inches tall and wide. Often overused because of its constant blooming, Stella d'Oro makes a bigger impact as a single specimen planted in a mixed garden rather than in a mass planting. Don't overlook this beauty just because it's ubiquitous. 


Happy Returns: This is another compact, ever-blooming daylily which gets about 18 inches tall and wide. Happy Returns is a clear lemon-yellow and a more open flower than the Stella's tulip-shaped bloom.


Purple d'Oro: A medium sized daylily at 20 inches tall and wide, this plant re-blooms with deep lavender pink blooms. A great companion to yellow daylilies.


Baja: At 36 inches tall and wide, Baja is the typical size of most daylilies. However, as a re-blooming lily, this plant will add beauty to the garden from June through September. The flowers are large (5-6 inches wide) with deep red petals and yellow throat.


Daylilies are a must for every garden. Coming in a variety of colors and sizes, there is certain to be a daylily to fit into every garden scheme.

Perennial Profile: Catmint 'Walker's Low'

Catmint is an easy to grow, long flowering perennial for sun or partial shade. The gray-green foliage gives way to blue-violet flower spikes in early summer and last through the fall. This plant is not terribly picky about soil and, in fact, will become leggy and less attractive with too much fertilizer. It's also drought tolerant, but puts on it's best show with adequate moisture. 

Despite this plant's name, it is neither low nor overly attractive to cats. The name, "Walker's Low" is after a garden in England and has nothing to do with the size of the actual plant. That said, Walker's Low is one of the more compact varieties of catmint but will still reach heights of 24-36" with an equal spread. As for it's common name of catmint, it's true that this plant is attractive to cats (we can attest to that as the cats in the greenhouse like to frolic in it), however, it's not nearly the same attraction as to it's close cousin, catnip. It's safe to plant this in your yard without fear of hanging an open invitation sign to all the neighborhood cats. However, this plant will attract an abundance of flying critters in the form of butterflies, moths and bees. Catmint has also been said to deter rodents. 

Catmint is good along borders where it can trail over the edge or as a companion plant to roses. The blue-violet flowers are a beautiful color to combine with yellow or orange flowers for a striking garden show. 

Did You Know? Tulips Are Like Onions

In honor of one of the few flowers soon to bloom here in Minnesota despite our repeated snow covered mornings, I thought I would share a bit of trivia about tulips. 

Contrary to popular belief, tulips are not native to Holland. The flowers originated in South Central Asia in what is now Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan. The name tulip is thought to come from the Turkish word "dulband" which means turban which the tulip flower is thought to resemble. Dulband is translated to "tulipa" in Latin. 

In 1636-37, Holland had "Tulipmania" where the price of a single bulb was more than the cost of a house at the time. Rare bulbs were sold for exorbitant sums (up to $100,000 by today's standards) and to have tulip bulbs at your home was as impressive as having say, a Ferrari today. Eventually, thousands of tulips varieties were brought to market and there was a "Tulip Crash". Yet, tulip cultivation still remains a large part of the Dutch culture. 

Tulips are unique in that the flower stems will keep growing after they are cut. Snip a couple of stems from your garden and put them in a vase of water. The stems will grow up to an inch or more. Cut tulips don't need any special care in a vase except lots and lots of water. They are thirsty plants and need water added every day. 

Lastly, if you're in a pinch, tulip bulbs can be used in place of onions. Which is interesting but mostly irrelevant. Who has more tulip bulbs than onions? I guess if your tulips have gone awry, which they tend to do after several years of multiplying, it might be a good way to cull down the tulip bed. 

Did You Know? Geraniums Aren't Really Geraniums

When is a geranium not a geranium? When it's a pelargonium!

Uh, yeah. Which is what exactly? Pelargonium is the correct botanical name for the tropical plants we commonly grow as annuals and call geraniums. Sometimes they are referred to as garden geraniums or possibly storksbill geranium (although that's a new one to me). Perennial in only the warmest of climates, here in Minnesota we start these popular plants in January from cuttings and seeds to have them ready for sale in May. Being tropical, they need lots of time to grow from a single leaf or seed into the full blooming plant we all know and love. 

Image: Tom Curtis / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

So what, then, is a geranium? An actual geranium is a perennial plant (yes, even here in zones 3 and 4) that really looks not much like a pelargonium at all. It's often referred to as hardy geranium or cranesbill geranium. The beauty of this perennial besides the fact that it is hardy here in Minnesota is that it doesn't like rich soil. So that tough place in your garden where nothing else will grow? Try cranesbill geraniums. This plant also stands up fairly well to drought and blooms profusely. A perfect perennial in my book!

So why do these two disparate plants have the same name in the first place? While both these plants are still in the same botanical family, they were originally in the same botanical genus as geraniums. It was only about 220-some years ago that the plants were split into two separate clans and it just hasn't caught on yet. Old habits die hard! 

At any rate, both of these plants are excellent choices for gardeners. What they do have in common is that they are both easy to grow and flower beautifully. Whether you choose a garden geranium or a hardy geranium, chances are you'll be pleased with it's performance.

Growing Herbs: Edible Ornamentals

In addition to the plants traditionally grown as herbs, there are also a number of plants many gardeners grow as ornamental plants that are edible as well. Who doesn't like a plant that does double duty? The only caution is to make sure you are not eating any plants that you use any kind of pesticides on or fertilizers not suitable for edible plants. The following is not a comprehensive list of edible ornamental plants but includes some of the most common.

Edible Annuals

Marigold (Tagetes teniufolia, Tegetes signata)- While many cultivars of marigolds can be eaten, most are bitter and better left in the garden. The Gem hybrids (Lemon Gem and Orange Gem) are single flowered marigolds that add a citrus flavor to salads. Use the flowers fresh throughout the season as they don't dry or freeze well. 

Curry Plant (Helichrysum italicum) - This plant is generally grown for its striking silvery-gray foliage. It is not what is traditionally thought of as curry as that is a blend of several spices. However, this plant has a flavor reminiscent of curry and can be added to rice and vegetable dishes to give it a hint of curry-like flavor. It's also great to dry for use in potpourri. 

Nasturtium - Not only is this easy-to-grow annual gorgeous in the garden, but it's gorgeous in food as well. Use the flowers and leaves in salads, sandwiches or in dips. Make sure flowers are washed thoroughly to get rid of hiding insects. Too much nasturtium can cause stomach upset due to the high amount of mustard oil in the plant. However, more than an ounce a day would need to be eaten for problems to occur. The strong peppery-taste means a little goes a long way so the chances of overeating this plant is unlikely. Nasturtium is especially gorgeous when planted with Bright Lights or Rainbow Swiss Chard. Use these two plants together for a colorful and delicious salad. 

Perilla - Even Magilla Perilla, the very popular, gorgeously colored foliage plant is edible! The plant is commonly used in  Asian cuisine. Its leaves have a cinnamon-lemon flavor. Use them whole or chopped for garnish, in tempura or sushi. Use the flower spikes fresh in salads. 

Calendula - This is another easy-to-grow annual that's not too fussy about growing conditions and handles our cool weather. Known as "poor man's saffron", calendula flowers can be added to stews, pasta, rice and potatoes as well as cakes and muffins. Fresh calendula can be bitter but mellows with cooking. Petals can also be added to herbal teas. 

Edible Perennials

Bee Balm (Monarda) - This popular perennial is easy to grow and attracts bees, butterflies and if you're in the right area, hummingbirds. Use the leaves to make a minty, citrus-scented tea or add leaves to salads and summer beverages. Bee Balm, part of the mint family, can be used interchangeably with mint. 

Catmint (Nepeta x faassenii) - Catmint is another popular perennial in this region. It's a drought-tolerant plant with beautiful silver foliage and violet-blue flowers. Use the leaves to brew tea which is thought to reduce anxiety and induce sleep. It's also a good source of magnesium and manganese. Fresh leaves can also be used in soups, sauces, pasta and vegetable dishes. Use the youngest shoots chopped and sprinkled in salads. 

Rose - Both the flowers and the rose hips of this plant are edible although the best rose hips come from rosa rugosa plants. Rose hips are a great source of vitamin C. All roses are edible but the best for eating are those that don't need to be sprayed. If roses are being treated for insects or other diseases, do not eat. Rose petals can be sprinkled in salads or preserved in butter or vinegar. They can also be crystallized in sugar for gorgeous decorative edibles. Use both the flowers and rose hips in herbal teas. Use rose hips dried or fresh as a fruit or in preserves or desserts.

For a lot of gardener's, these plants are already in their gardens. How wonderful to discover that in addition to beautifying the garden, they can also beautify your food. 

Next week: My favorite annuals of 2010

Growing Herbs: Thyme

Not only is thyme a delicious and versatile herb in the kitchen, it's also a hardy, easy-to-grow perennial that is indispensable in the garden. Use creeping thyme in rock gardens, to edge pathways, under roses or any place you need a good ground cover. Taller, upright varieties work well in borders, herb gardens and containers. Beautiful and edible! That makes thyme a must have plant for the garden. 

Growing and Harvesting Thyme

Thyme is incredibly easy to grow so much so that it can be considered to grow itself. It prefers those hot, dry areas of the garden where other plants might suffer. Plant thyme in full sun and don't fertilize. This herb actually prefers poorer soils. 

With over 100 varieties of thyme to choose from there is bound to be a cultivar perfect for your garden. The most common types are creeping thyme, which makes an excellent ground cover, lemon thyme, which has a stronger lemon scent and common thyme, which is an upright variety. 

In addition to adding fantastic fragrance to the garden, thyme flowers in colors ranging from pink to purple and sometimes white. Once thyme has flowered, trim plants back by half to encourage new growth and to keep the plant from getting too woody. 
 
Because of our snow cover during the winter months, thyme planted in the garden is obviously unavailable for fresh use at that time. However, thyme propagates easily by cuttings. In the early summer, pot up cuttings to bring inside during the fall and to enjoy throughout the winter.

To harvest thyme, simply cut entire stems from the plant. If using as garnish or on the grill, leave stems intact. If using for seasoning, strip leaves from stems and add to dishes. 

Thyme can be dried by placing whole stems in paper bags. Once herb is dried, remove leaves and store in an air-tight container. Thyme can also be frozen by placing whole stems in zip top bags or frozen in ice cubes for use in soups and sauces. 

Using Thyme

There is almost no dish that can't be improved by thyme. It works well with any meat including wild game, vegetables, tomatoes, black, kidney or pinto beans, and potatoes. Lemon thyme works especially well with fish and vegetables while common thyme is perfect for beef and venison. Use it in soups, sauces or infuse vinegar and oil with thyme for use on salads. 

Check allrecipes.com for their collection of recipes featuring thyme. Food.com also has an enticing recipe for Oven-baked Pork Loin that looks delicious and easy. 

Next week: Oregano, you can't have Italian food--or pizza!--without it.

Photo Friday: Jack Frost Brunnera

 

I can't say enough about this shade plant! What's not to like? This Jack Frost brunnera is one of my first plants to bloom in the spring and lasts well into June. Perfect little blue flowers! Once the flowers are done the silvery foliage adds sparkle to the shadiest area of the garden. And because it's a spring bloomer, it's a perfect companion plant to the later blooming hostas. 

Photo Friday: Spring Tulip

 

Since winter is indeed in full effect, it's time to review last season in pictures!  What better way to counteract our snow than with pictures of flowers that will soon be here again? 

I love this tulip! It's a variety my daughter picked out to plant in front of her bedroom window. It's a late season type which means it usually blooms in May and sometimes into June. And the way it looks with the lysimachia is gorgeous. And it detracts from the ever present weeds as well...

Gardening Thankfully

The thankful reciever bears a plentiful harvest. - William Blake

With the wet and wacky weather we had this summer, it's easy to focus on the things that went wrong in the garden and overlook those things that actually went right. Despite all the things that died (and there were lots! It was a strange year), there were many things that continued to delight me in the garden. I am, as ever, thankful for all the beauty and bounty in my yard. How thankful? Let me count the ways.

1. I'm thankful for the blooming Black-eyed Susans that grew from the seeds my son and I planted a year ago. Black-eyed Susans really are gorgeous with Autumn Joy sedum.

2. I'm thankful for an incredible harvest of Carmen sweet red peppers. They are my favorite! I'm also thankful for the stores of them in my freezer that should last a couple of months at least. 

3. I'm thankful for the blanket flower that reseeded itself throughout my front garden because it's absolutely beautiful. 

4. I'm thankful for the Ornamental Kale I planted in the spring. It didn't look like much to begin with but the payoff was spectacular!

5. I'm thankful I discovered Swiss Chard this year. It's delicious, my kids love it and it's pretty.

6. I'm thankful for all the seeds my nasturtium plants produced. More for next year!

7. I'm thankful for the bumblebees who find my yard so endless fascinating because I, myself, find the bees endlessly fascinating as well. 

8. I'm thankful for the Soroptimist Garden tour for letting me peek into other gardener's landscapes to discover plants I absolutely must have. I'm also thankful they've chosen me to be on next year's tour. 

9. I'm thankful for my Henry Hudson rose bush because is just becomes more spectacular every year. 

10. Last, but not least, I'm thankful for my job which enables me to write about gardening, talk about gardening, teach others about gardening and most of all, to play in the dirt. I'm thankful for each and every person who spends their time to read this blog. Thank you!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Photo Friday: Burgundy Gaillardia

This gorgeous plant has been blooming since June and is going strong into October. Originally, I planted 2 or 3 small plants that have since died out, but it's okay because this one readily re-seeds itself. It's not a problem, however, since some of the plants die out and I've rather like where it's reseeded itself. For the plants that are where I don't wish them to be they are easily pulled up. Not at all like the Evil Veronica. My favorite reseeded plant was the one that planted itself next to the Shasta Daisies. Red and white daisies? Gorgeous! Far and away the best fall (and spring and summer!) perennial in my garden.

Photo Friday: Limelight Hydrangea

I've fallen in love with hydrangeas! This one is the Limelight. I love so many things about this shrub and highly recommend it. It takes more sun than most hydrangeas which makes it perfect for the southeast corner of my house. It gets sun most of the day but is protected from the very hot western sun. It's doing very well. I also love the lime-green blooms that turn pink and then burgundy in the fall. It goes very well with the Tiger-eye Sumac growing next to it. Gorgeous fall color!

Falling for Fall—Perennial Beauties

I have a love/hate relationship with the fall season. I actually like the cooler weather, the back to school vibe and the bounty of the fall harvest. But as a gardener in Minnesota, it’s a rather sad time. The annuals are generally played out or perhaps dead (because someone forgot to water, oops!). Most fall gardening consists of cleaning up for next spring and cleaning in any context is my least favorite thing to do. What I’m left with is a fairly barren landscape that only gets bleaker as the snow arrives. And because our fall season is even shorter than our summer season, it’s always seemed there really wasn’t much I could do to improve my view. I threw in the towel gardening-wise, perhaps a bit prematurely and let nature take its mostly unattractive course.

I know I don’t generally talk perennials as container gardens are more my thing but I have to say that right now I am absolutely in love with my Autumn Joy sedum. I’ve come to this love late although Autumn Joy has been a popular perennial for years. My mother gave it to me after ripping it out from the front of her house. She despised it. As an herbaceous perennial with fall glory, location is everything with this plant. Plant it in the wrong place and what you have is a hole in your garden that will drive you crazy all summer, which is what happened with my mom. Surround it with spring and summer blooming plants that detract from it while it’s growing and you will be pleasantly surprised. Since my mother has moved her sedum to more appropriate place, she is learning to love it, too.

Another issue I’ve had with Autumn Joy sedum I’ve worked with in other gardens is that it can get leggy and floppy. I’ve had this problem with older plants but not the ones I planted just a couple of years ago. I can only guess that as the plant ages this is more of an issue. Cutting the plants back by half around the 4th of July will make the plant grow thicker and more able to hold up those dazzling flower heads in the fall.

Another fall perennial I adore is New England aster. Unfortunately, I’ve killed mine somehow. I think I accidentally pulled them up during spring clean up so I recommend cutting them down rather than pulling on dead foliage, no matter how easy it seems to come up. I kill so you don’t have to! Asters can also be pruned by half around July 4th to provide for a more compact habit and later bloom time although it’s not absolutely necessary.

Other perennials still blooming into the fall season include my burgundy Gaillardia, Veronica and Shasta daisy. Both the Veronica and the Shasta daisy were pruned during the midsummer due to ugliness and now are blooming for the second time. The blooms are less vigorous than earlier but I like the bonus flowers. And of course my Karl Foerster feather reed grass looks fantastic and will remain so through the winter. As much Karl Foerster as I see in landscapes I just never tire of this plant.

I love all these fall surprises. In many ways they are more rewarding than spring bloomers, not least of all for their unexpectedness. I will continue to seek out and plant more fall blooming perennials to balance out my landscape.