FOCUS: Fall Projects and Plants Late Summer Sensations Plant geeks share their fall flora

By Nina A. Koziol

It’s just about time for The Late Show — that time of year when the annuals are still strutting their stuff but many of the perennials have petered out. It will be weeks before trees and shrubs put on their splendid autumn performance. However, there are many late-season perennials and annuals that can provide texture and pops of color now as we move into autumn. Here are just a few.

Ashley Marrin of Bret-Mar Landscape in Homer Glen likes native switchgrass for its flowers and blue-green foliage, but the plants tend to be incredibly tall and can splay open, weighed down by heavy seed heads. Totem Pole switchgrass grows in a very erect column of steel blue foliage with powdery blue stems. In early fall, golden panicles appear just above the foliage. “I love how it is so upright,”

Marrin said. The narrow base of the plant makes it an ideal candidate for small spaces that need height and vertical structure.

Totem Pole switchgrass

On the opposite end of the spectrum is the petite Japanese forest grass. Aureola (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’) is one of the many clump-forming cultivars that excel in moist, well-drained soil and shade. “So many people are looking for grasses for shade,” says Susy Stone of Hinsdale Nurseries. “I like hakonechloa for its texture and color.” In the cooler days of autumn, the golden foliage becomes infused with shades of pink and red. The plant’s cascading habit in which most of the leaves arch in the same direction looks like a golden waterfall. When grown in part shade, the yellow tones in the foliage will be most pronounced. In deep shade, the variegation will be lime green. Plant this grass where it can cascade down a slope or drape over a low stone wall.

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“Fall is my favorite season,” says landscape architect Scott Mehaffey. “There are some great combinations of woody, herbaceous and annual plants—and bulbs, like autumn crocus—that bring the landscape to life from September through November and sometimes even later, depending on the weather. I like Allium ‘Ozawa’ and Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Prairie Blues’ and just about every aster there is,” Mehaffey says.

Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Prairie Blues’

Colchicum speciosus ‘Conqueror’

With its true blue flowers, Conqueror autumn crocus (Colchicum speciosus ‘Conqueror’), is a bright accent among autumn hues. These fall beauties are best planted in a protected, well-drained, sunny location like a rock or herb garden, or blooming through light mulch, a chemical free lawn, or in a ground cover.

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Trees, Ornamentals, Evergreens, Shrubs, Annuals, Perennials, Vines, and Groundcover. Over 500 Varieties Over 600 Acres Over 10 Acres of locally grown plants. of field & container production. of holding yard.

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Gomphrena and kale (continued from page 12)

Landscape architect Mary Allen uses drifts of annuals between perennials in her garden in St. Charles. “I like all the alliums, but Windy City from Brent Horvath at Intrinsic Perennial Gardens is outstanding and should be used more. The flower color is a deep purple like none other.” Windy City allium has tight, deep green foliage and purple-violet flowers on semi-sterile plants. Allen pairs it with a dark-leaved annual, Purple Prince alternanthera. The allium’s seed heads add texture while the alternanthera’s foliage performs until frost.

When it comes to autumn containers and bedding plants, annuals, like gomphrena and kale take the spotlight. The brilliant violet flowers and bluepurple foliage offer a nice counterpoint to trees and shrubs cloaked in red, russet and gold.

For your adventurous clients, especially those who have cottage-style gardens or plantings for their children, there are several cultivars of amaranthus, including ‘Dreadlocks,’ which produces giant magenta blooms that dangle on long stems. Wooly-textured ropes of flowers develop fully in summer and begin to trail downward when the plants reach about three feet tall, creating a fountain of bright color. For clients who enjoy making flower arrangements, the stems are a great addition to a vase. (continued on page 16)

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Carex morrowii ‘Ice Dance’

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“Carex is great as a living mulch,” says Kyle Lambert, perennial manager at The Growing Place. One of his favorites is Ice Dance sedge (Carex morrowii ‘Ice Dance’). With its wide, strappy leaves, this carex makes a bold statement in the shade garden. The leaves are dark green with bright white variegated edges that tend to keep their color well into winter, adding to the plant’s ornamental value. This variety will grow in many conditions, from nearly full sun to shade in average to moist soil.

It wouldn’t be fall without plenty of yellow and rust-colored chrysanthemums. But when the trees display those colors, it’s nice to have something with a contrast. For something completely different, try Clara Curtis chrysanthemums in pots or in a border. The low, compact plants are smothered in pink, single daisy flowers that bloom from late summer on. (continued on page 18)

In our 32 years of business we have trialed thousands of mum varieties. In this time we have found that one of the keys to providing top quality is good genetics. Because of this, we have spent endless hours trialing every commercial mum variety available. In our newly developed Chicago Landscaper Series, we specifically targeted varieties with characteristics that meet our landscapers needs. Our selections are made with flower uniformity, shape, and size in mind. Our Landscaper series will look healthy and vibrant from plant to pull. Your mum planting will outshine others with these varieties. We can efficiently grow and trial hundreds of varieties side by side. Save time, money, and energy by letting Henning’s do the trialing for you! Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions about garden mum varieties or needs.

Purple Yellow

Bronze Orange Red

Purple Lavender Light Pink

Dark Yellow

Light Yellow White Orange Red

14 inch Mum

(continued from page 16) Ornamental grasses come into their own in autumn. Korean feather reed grass (Calamagrostis brachytricha) does it in a big way. This warm season grass blooms from late summer through early fall. Late in the season, the plant produces fluffy bottlebrush plumes within and just above the foliage. Purplish-red when they first open, the seed heads age to greenish-tan. Your clients can cut a few for bouquets as they remain open and feathery even when dried. This grass is also somewhat shade tolerant, which is unusual for a larger flowering grass. Grown in full sun, the habit will be tighter and the flowering will be more profuse. Korean feather reed grass (Calamagrostis brachytricha) Lambert also likes ‘At Last’ rose, a robust, disease-resistant shrub rose that produces clusters of fragrant flowers over a long season. Petals fade over time to a soft yellow tinged with apricot. The blossoms appear in flushes against a backdrop of healthy, dark-green leaves on vigorous, bushy plants.

Goldenrod

Late summer and fall would not be complete without goldenrod. Most goldenrods bloom from midsummer to autumn, providing a good late-season display as well as food for birds and insects. Richard Hawke, manager of plant evaluations at the Chicago Botanic Garden, examined more than 25 species and garden hybrids. Some, like Fireworks and Solidago caesia bloomed well into October. See the full evaluation here: https://www.chicagobotanic.org/downloads/planteval_notes/

no15_goldenrods.pdf