Fall is a great time for planting, and while most people think of the season as just being about the gorgeous colors on the deciduous trees, there are plenty of beautiful plants for the landscape that really shine during this time of year. Here are some of our favorites and why:
1. Sasanqua Camellias
These beauties are evergreen in our area of Hampton Roads and feature dark green glossy leaves as well as showy, sometimes fragrant, flowers. These camellias like a bit more sun than their Japonica cousins, and tolerate a range of different soil conditions. They are just beginning to bloom this time of year and will flower into the late fall and winter months., making them a great choice for the landscape. They flower when many other ornamental plantings are at the beginning of their dormancy period and there are lots of great cultivars available with blooms ranging in color from reds to pinks to white and even yellows.
Some favorites include: Shishi Gashira, Autumn Rocket, Bonanza, Yule Tide, and Lemon Glow.
2. Ornamental Grasses
Ornamental grasses get special attention from us in the fall, and for great reason! They are just now reaching their peak bloom and add a lot of great texture to the landscape. There are tons of great varieties, like Pennisetums (or Fountain Grasses,) Miscanthus (or Maiden Grasses,) Mulenbegrias (or Muhly,) and many others. Natives and ornamentals alike, fall is the time for ornamental grasses to really shine.
Some favorites include: White Cloud Muhly Grass, Maiden Adagio, and Dwarf Cassian Fountain Grass.
3. Reblooming Azaleas
Encore Azaleas, and other re-blooming type azaleas, are gorgeous fall color additions to your landscape. These evergreen shrubs flower in the spring, sometimes get a sporadic bloom throughout the summer, and then feature a fall display as well. They come in tons of colors including pinks, reds, coral, white, cream, orange, purple, magenta, and even multi-color like ‘Twist’ which has magenta and light pink blooms on the same plant!
Some favorites include: Autumn Angel Encore Azalea, Autumn Fire Encore Azalea, Autumn Royalty Encore Azalea, and Autumn Twist Encore Azalea.
4. Japanese Maples
Japanese Maples are some of the most gorgeous trees we can grow here in Hampton Roads and their fall coloring can really be a show stopper in the landscape. They have attractive leaves turn beautiful shades of crimson, burgundy, oranges, and golden yellows.
Some favorites include: Bloodgood, Crimson Queen, Tameukeyama, Coral Bark, Viridis, & Red Dragon
5. Autumn Sedums
Autumn Sedums feature succulent-like foliage with delicate clusters of pink or red toned blooms. They are very drought tolerant plants once established and begin to flower late summer through the fall. New varieties feature gorgeous variegated leaves in shades of cream or white with green centers.
Some favorites include: Autumn Joy Sedum, Autumn Fire Sedum, Autumn Charm Sedum
6. Mums
Mums are great for fall color, while most people think of them as annuals, in our area they are actually a perennial and you can plant them right in your garden for fall color each year! They come in tons of great colors; purples, orange, white, cream, etc. If you like the characteristic rounded look of the fall potted mums, just be sure to give them a cut back in mid-late July so they flush out fully in the fall.
7. Asters
These adorable daisy-like flowers have a low mounding growth habit and come in shades of purple, blue, pink, white, and yellow. These are great perennials for fall with those cheerful blooms and soft green foliage.
Some favorites include: New York Aster, Woods Blue Aster, Woods Pink Aster
7. Annual Blooms
Let’s also not discount all the great annuals available for this time of year; snapdragons, ornamental peppers, pansies, marigolds, celosia, dusty miller, viola, ornamental cabbages, and ornamental kales. They are sure to add an extra pop of color and texture to any garden, annuals are a great addition to your landscape this fall!
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