Published: Thursday, August 26, 2010
Late bloomers: Planting now yields beautiful results come fall
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Michael O'Leary / The Herald
Canna is a tropical plant that shines in late summer. Its leaves and flowers add excitement to local gardens, including containers, after many other plants have petered out.
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Michael O'Leary / The Herald
Joe Pye weed, a dramatic late-blooming perennial, doesn´t show its flowers until mid-August. It is a star in the early autumn garden and is available in dwarf varieties such as Little Joe.
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Michael O'Leary / The Herald
Fall blooming upright sedums, such as this variety, Crystal Pink, are stars in the late summer and early autumn.
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Michael O'Leary / The Herald
Hardy fuchsias get a late start on blooming, typically in July, but they provide color and interest all the way until the first frost.
Nothing signals the beginning of the end of gardening season like a mass of dried-up, brown perennials.
It's a common problem.
But it doesn't have to be that way, said Steve Smith, longtime owner of Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville.
Many gardeners want year-round interest, but they get caught up in early spring fever and snap up everything that looks enticing at garden centers in April and May and never look back.
Smith's solution is simple: If you want your garden to sing in late summer and early autumn, you have to make room for the performers.
If you design your entire garden using spring nursery stock, you might miss out.
Many of Smith's favorite late bloomers don't necessarily hit garden centers until June or sometimes later.
Cannas, for example, often arrive late and usually don't start blooming until July. But once they get going, they can add drama, color and excitement to your yard until the first hard frost, much like well-maintained dahlias do.
Smith advises saving space for asters, rose of Sharon, Japanese anemones, hardy fuchsias and Joe Pye weed for a vibrant end to the season.
Caryopteris, available in varieties with bright yellow foliage and late blue flowers, is another end-of-season winner.
Late-blooming varieties of hydrangea and shrubby sedums can also be stars in autumn.
Though sedum Autumn Joy is a common fall wonder, there are many other upright varieties available now, too, including Crystal Pink, Vera Jameson, Ringmore Ruby and Purple Emperor.
Many late bloomers are available now at garden centers and can be planted immediately if you remember to keep them watered until the fall rains come.
Summer-planted perennials will have some time to stretch their roots before winter.
If you plant now, you won't have to risk accidentally damaging other dormant perennials hiding underground in early spring. Doing a late-summer redesign now will also give you more time to play -- and weed -- come spring.
Tips for planting in summer, enjoying in fall
If you're going to put new plants in the ground now, you'd be wise to not only water them, but also to saturate the soil during the planting process. Here's a tried-and-true "watering in" technique from Sunnyside's Steve Smith. In 15 years of practicing this method in the scorching heat of California's Sacramento Valley, he rarely lost a plant.
1. Dig a hole as deep as the root ball and twice as wide.
2. Add compost and organic fertilizer into the soil removed from the hole.
3. Fill the hole with water and let it soak into the surrounding soil.
4. Place the plant in the hole and make sure the top of the root ball is level with the landscape.
5. Replace half of the removed soil and press it into place.
6. Add several gallons of water to the half-filled hole and let it soak in completely.
7. Replace the rest of the soil and make a ring or berm of soil around the plant that can be filled with an inch or two of water.
8. Fill the well. Let the water soak in. Fill it again. If it soaks in quickly, fill it once more.
9. After a month you can remove the watering well and top the planting area off with compost or bark mulch.
Goal: You want to saturate the soil surrounding the new root ball so that the plant has enough water to draw from for several days. When this is done properly, you should have to water only once or twice a week or less if the weather is cool.
"If you get enough moisture around the root ball, the plant will never miss a beat," Smith said.
Late-season tips
Rebloomers: Don't forget about those oh-so-versatile plants that bloom in early spring and late summer, such as clematis, delphiniums, yarrow and roses. Roses, especially if you deadhead them and give them a little fertilizer, will continue to dazzle until December or the first frost.
Cannas and dahlias: These plants may seem intimidating because they can be tender in cold, wet weather. Both, however, will usually survive all winter in Snohomish County if they're planted in the ground and covered with few inches of mulch before frost. But if using pots, put them in the greenhouse for the winter.
Grasses: Ornamental grasses stay beautiful long after showy, flowery perennials have faded. Many often feature fall color as well as seed plumes that look stunning in fall breezes and late-summer light.
Sarah Jackson: 425-339-3037; sjackson@heraldnet.com.
It's a common problem.
But it doesn't have to be that way, said Steve Smith, longtime owner of Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville.
Many gardeners want year-round interest, but they get caught up in early spring fever and snap up everything that looks enticing at garden centers in April and May and never look back.
Smith's solution is simple: If you want your garden to sing in late summer and early autumn, you have to make room for the performers.
If you design your entire garden using spring nursery stock, you might miss out.
Many of Smith's favorite late bloomers don't necessarily hit garden centers until June or sometimes later.
Cannas, for example, often arrive late and usually don't start blooming until July. But once they get going, they can add drama, color and excitement to your yard until the first hard frost, much like well-maintained dahlias do.
Smith advises saving space for asters, rose of Sharon, Japanese anemones, hardy fuchsias and Joe Pye weed for a vibrant end to the season.
Caryopteris, available in varieties with bright yellow foliage and late blue flowers, is another end-of-season winner.
Late-blooming varieties of hydrangea and shrubby sedums can also be stars in autumn.
Though sedum Autumn Joy is a common fall wonder, there are many other upright varieties available now, too, including Crystal Pink, Vera Jameson, Ringmore Ruby and Purple Emperor.
Many late bloomers are available now at garden centers and can be planted immediately if you remember to keep them watered until the fall rains come.
Summer-planted perennials will have some time to stretch their roots before winter.
If you plant now, you won't have to risk accidentally damaging other dormant perennials hiding underground in early spring. Doing a late-summer redesign now will also give you more time to play -- and weed -- come spring.
Tips for planting in summer, enjoying in fall
If you're going to put new plants in the ground now, you'd be wise to not only water them, but also to saturate the soil during the planting process. Here's a tried-and-true "watering in" technique from Sunnyside's Steve Smith. In 15 years of practicing this method in the scorching heat of California's Sacramento Valley, he rarely lost a plant.
1. Dig a hole as deep as the root ball and twice as wide.
2. Add compost and organic fertilizer into the soil removed from the hole.
3. Fill the hole with water and let it soak into the surrounding soil.
4. Place the plant in the hole and make sure the top of the root ball is level with the landscape.
5. Replace half of the removed soil and press it into place.
6. Add several gallons of water to the half-filled hole and let it soak in completely.
7. Replace the rest of the soil and make a ring or berm of soil around the plant that can be filled with an inch or two of water.
8. Fill the well. Let the water soak in. Fill it again. If it soaks in quickly, fill it once more.
9. After a month you can remove the watering well and top the planting area off with compost or bark mulch.
Goal: You want to saturate the soil surrounding the new root ball so that the plant has enough water to draw from for several days. When this is done properly, you should have to water only once or twice a week or less if the weather is cool.
"If you get enough moisture around the root ball, the plant will never miss a beat," Smith said.
Late-season tips
Rebloomers: Don't forget about those oh-so-versatile plants that bloom in early spring and late summer, such as clematis, delphiniums, yarrow and roses. Roses, especially if you deadhead them and give them a little fertilizer, will continue to dazzle until December or the first frost.
Cannas and dahlias: These plants may seem intimidating because they can be tender in cold, wet weather. Both, however, will usually survive all winter in Snohomish County if they're planted in the ground and covered with few inches of mulch before frost. But if using pots, put them in the greenhouse for the winter.
Grasses: Ornamental grasses stay beautiful long after showy, flowery perennials have faded. Many often feature fall color as well as seed plumes that look stunning in fall breezes and late-summer light.
Sarah Jackson: 425-339-3037; sjackson@heraldnet.com.
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