Gardeners often dread fall because they think it means the end of color in their garden. But consider planting a mix of annuals, perennials, and shrubs specifically for autumn. Let us help you put some color into your fall garden so that you can enjoy your Denver landscape a bit longer! We can help you with fall landscape, renovation, and irrigation as well as some fall plant suggestions for the Denver area.
Winter pansies are annuals with flowers that tend to be smaller than those of regular pansies, but you still get a spectacular range of colors. Choose a spot where they’ll get full or partial sunlight, and plant them at least eight inches apart in loamy soil. Water them well, especially when you first plant them. Deadheading will promote new blooms.
Russian sage loves sun and well-draining soil, and it can grow about a yard tall and up to two feet wide. It is a perennial and is known for its gray-green leaves and long-lasting spikes of small purple-blue flowers. It is a late summer bee favorite.
Asters (above) are favorite fall garden plants with star-like flowers ranging from pink to dark purple. Their height varies four feet tall to smaller varieties that reach two feet in height. Asters like full sun, rich, loamy soil, and they like to stay moist.
If you are looking for something to incorporate late summer which will extend into the fall, consider some of these plants especially hardy for the Colorado climate that will thrive in the Denver metro area:
- Erodium chrysanthum (Yellow Storksbill) makes a compact mound of gray-green leaves, 6″ high and 12″-24″ in diameter. The spring bloom is strongest, followed by some re-blooming the rest of the summer. This is a very drought tolerant plant that has a history of dependable success in the Denver area.
- Plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides) is a tough and drought tolerant groundcover that blooms a very long time – from summer and into fall, and then dazzles with deep red fall foliage color. The flowers are an intense dark blue. It grows 6″-10″ high and spreads 24″-36″ or more into drifts. It has exceptional value underneath trees in dry shade.
- Geranium ‘Rozanne’ has large violet-blue flowers that bloom continuously from late spring to mid fall. The flower is 2 ½” in diameter with purple-violet veins and showy white centers. It can grow 12″-24″ high and wide and its dark green leaves turn red in the fall. Like most hardy geraniums, ‘Rozanne’ has no serious pests and requires little maintenance.
Remember that no garden is complete without the splendor of brightly colored fall foliage provided by shrubs. Consider including some of these proven winners to provide eye-catching fall foliage:
- Burning Bush
- Compact American Cranberry Bush
- Oregon Grape Holly
- Golden Currant
- Hedge Cotoneaster
- Saskatoon Serviceberry
- Virginia Creeper
- Western Sand Cherry
Need some guidance with fall plants and shrubs? We can help! We want to help extend your garden color into late fall to give you a vibrant start to your season. Give the team at American Arbor Care a call today: 303-639-8584.