Refresh with Fall & Winter Interest

By Judy Alleruzzo, Al's Perennial Buyer and Co-host of GardenTime

The fall is a transitional time for our gardens and yards. Our summer blooms are burnt out and hanging baskets are leggy. It is time to pull the summer flowers and replace them with fresh pansies, coral bells and winter veggies.

 

We are very lucky in the Pacific Northwest. Our mild fall and winter seasons allow us the opportunity to use a large assortment of plants that are colorful, interesting, and will thrive in our temperatures.

 

Pansies are a great way to bring warm seasonal color to your doorstep. It may rain and be cool for months, but colorful pansies will look great and continue to flower unless it is very cold. 

 

Ornamental grasses are at their peak in fall. Even dormant, ornamental grass will add unique color, texture and structure. Miscanthus or Maiden Grasses will turn tawny brown for winter, but the tall leaf blades are a nice contrast with Spurge (Euphorbia) and Coral Bells (Heucheras).

 

Evergreen ornamental grasses do not die back and will continue to offer winter color. Evergreen, Sweet Flag grasses (Acorus ‘Oborozuki’ & ‘Variegata’) are good to plant as they stay short and host bright yellow and green, or white and green leaf blades. The green and cream blades of the evergreen Sedge Grass (Carex ‘Evergold’) are good to use in the front of a border or look lovely draped over the edge of a container.

 

Coral Bells (Heucheras) are available in a rainbow of colors. Internationally renown breeder, Terra Nova Nurseries, has developed many new varieties including chartreuse foliage (‘Lime Rickey’), russet-orange (‘Peach Flambe’) and an orangey-gold (‘Marmalade’). Heucheras are also evergreen and perfect in beds or containers. For a colorful fall container pair a few heucheras, with pansies, vinca and ornamental grasses.

 

Fall is beautiful in the Northwest.   More and more breeders are making plants available that look exceptional in our mild fall weather. So, why let your containers and flower beds look as drab as the winter skies?  Stop by any of our three Al’s Garden Centers locations and pick out few plants from our Fall & Winter Collection to refresh your home & garden.