By October, most gardens (and gardeners) are looking more than a little tired. Practically all the perennials have finished blooming, but you can extend the show well into fall with a few late-bloomers. Here's a peek at some exceptional plants that go beyond the typical ornamental kale, mums and pansies. All of these should be hardy throughout the state.
ALLIUM 'OZAWA' (ORNAMENTAL ONION)
"I like Allium 'Ozawa' and Schizachyrium scoparium 'Prairie Blues' and just about every aster there is for fall," says landscape architect Scott Mehaffey of Flossmoor, Ill.
Plant in full sun to part shade. Reaches 6 to 12 inches tall and wide. Hardy in zones 4 to 9.
SCHIZACHYRIUM SCOPARIUM 'PRAIRIE BLUES' (LITTLE BLUESTEM)
"This grass provides a great bluish color contrast to all of the saturated greens of late summer, then gradually takes on a rosy-orange tinge as autumn progresses," Mehaffey said. "This particular cultivar is a little relaxed in form, and there are others, like 'Standing Ovation' and 'Carousel' that stay more upright. Little bluestem has been the focus of breeding work in recent years, and there are named selections with various attributes, but all of them share native plant hardiness and wonderful color through fall and winter."
Plant in full sun, well-drained soil. Reaches 2 to 3 feet tall and about 18 inches wide. Hardy in zones 3 to 10.
SYMPHYOTRICHUM LAEVE (SMOOTH ASTER)
This plant is a butterfly magnet. "Smooth aster is a gorgeous cut flower and is one of the most attractive and long-lived of all the asters," says Miriam Goldberger of Wildflower Farm in Coldwater, Ontario.
Plant in full sun to part shade. Reaches 3 to 4 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. Hardy in zones 4 to 8.
HYDRANGEA PANICULATA 'JANE' (LITTLE LIME HYDRANGEA)
"The lime flowers turn to white and then to a blush pink as the weather gets cooler," says Katrina Chipman, horticulture coordinator at The Morton Arboretum.
Plant in part to full sun. Reaches between 3 and 6 feet tall and wide. Hardy in zones 3 to 8.
ANEMONE X HYBRIDA 'HONORINE JOBERT' (WINDFLOWER)
Fall-blooming anemones are a favorite of Susy Stone, perennial plant manager at Lurvey's Garden Center in Des Plaines, Ill. The plants bloom in September and October. "I love the clean, delicate flowers on the anemone -- they move with the most gentle winds and are beautiful and long-lasting as a cut flower."
Plant in full sun to part shade. Reaches 3 to 4 feet tall and 1 1/2 to 2 feet wide. Hardy in zones 4 to 8.
HomeStyle on 10/01/2016