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As the temperatures become cooler, the daylight shorter, and colder months ahead linger during the fall season; nature starts to paint striking color palettes of reds, oranges, and yellows from all the leaves falling. Despite the months ahead likely being cooler and falling foliage and custom harvesting during the season does not mean your garden should fade into oblivion.
Fall flowers which can be planted towards the end of summer and the beginning of fall can transform your outdoor garden into a colorful galore defying the norms of the fall season. From a myriad choice of colors of Chrysanthemums to the Goldenrod's brightness and sunshine, your garden will be treated to the color and pride of fall flowers.
What are Fall Flowers?
Fall flowers are the type of flower varieties that can be planted during the early summer or late summer. Typically fall flowers bloom during the late summer or early winter depending on the time they were planted. Fall-blooming flowers can withstand the short daylight and longer and colder months during the fall season.
Flowers in fall come in a wide range of colors from orange, yellow, purple, white, and lavender to a mix of bi-colors; creating a vibrant color mix for your garden and landscape in general. Though there are perennials that bloom from spring to fall, fall-flowering perennials are better planted during late summer and when the autumn season kicks off to achieve the right mix of color in your outdoor spaces.
The 6 Best Fall Flowers to Plant in Your Garden
The range of colors available to choose from fall flowers allows you to create the right color pattern, balance, and harmony in your garden. From purple to red, white, yellow, or even orange fall flowers, here are the 6 best fall flowers to plant that will likely bloom into fall or toward the end of the fall season:
Sedum
The autumn joy sedum is a famous fall flower that grows back annually and can last or bloom throughout the fall season. Sedum is an easy-grow and care-for perennial; provision of optimal sunlight during the day, frequent watering, and growing in a well-draining soil are some of the conditions preferred by Sedum.
Due to temperature changes from summer to fall, Autumn Joy Sedum has pinkish blooms during summer but changes to brown or copper-colored flowers during fall. These copper-colored blooms are highly attractive to different pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds among others.
Asters
These perennials kick into high gear when the beautiful fall colors in your garden are beginning to fade away. To elevate the look of your fall garden, Asters come in shades of blue, lavender, pink, and purple, and start blooming around the same time that Chrysanthemums do.
Asters are fall outdoor flowers with striking star-shaped blooms, which like to bask a lot in the limited sunlight during the fall season. Asters can be water sensitive, so it is highly recommended to check the salinity of your water levels to avoid impacting the growth of your asters in your fall garden.
Coneflower
Coneflower, also referred to as Echinacea, is a perennial flower that can bloom from late summer into the fall season. Coneflower has intriguing purple flowers with a cone-like pistil on top that is loved by hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. Growing a Coneflower as a garden edge can add texture and the desired aesthetic needed from your fall flowers.
Coneflowers do well in either partial shade or full sun, and frequent watering will get you the perfect results. Note that Echinacea can also be used as an herbal remedy alleviating the symptoms of the common cold and flu and also helps with sore throat and fever issues.
Chrysanthemum
The quintessential fall flower that cannot be missed in your fall garden is the gorgeous Chrysanthemums. You can pick from an unimaginable set of fall colors to accentuate every spot you desire. Chrysanthemums are available in a wide range of colors, from white, purple, orange, brown, and lavender; you can easily create a perfect mixed bouquet of fall flowers with your chrysanthemum garden.
Chrysanthemums can be grown directly in your garden and also potted; ensure great exposure to shorter daylight and consistent watering and fertilizer application to enhance the growth of your chrysanthemum plants. Identify the right cut stage for your flowers and consistently harvest them to spur robust growth. When accorded the right care and maintenance, potted Chrysanthemums will always color your fall season; it is always autumn with the color and beauty of Chrysanthemums.
Hydrangea
Hydrangeas are the perfect ornamental shrubs to grow as fall flowers. This type of plant comes in a variety of colors and there are different varieties to choose from for your fall garden.
Depending on the variety you choose, hydrangeas darken their colors during the nighttime and brighten when the daylight breaks. They work hard to express their beauty and color and thus appropriate hydrangea caring routine ought to be in place to enhance the blooming of the cone-shaped fall flower.
Shasta Daisy
Shasta Daisy, also referred to as Leucanthemum x superbum, was named after the snowy peaks of Mount Shasta California. Shasta Daisy is a hardy fall flower, that loves sunlight and can easily spread along the fences creating a very attractive look and aesthetics for your fall garden.
Shasta Daisy has white blooms with a bright yellow center. This elegant fall flower screams attention and can tolerate the fluctuating fall temperatures especially the prolonged colder months ahead.
The 4 Best Fall Flowers for Pots
Fall flowering plants are not limited to a garden only but can also be grown in planters or pots, especially if you want to care for these flowers with ease. Growing your fall flowers in a pot makes watering easy, and manageable and also you can position your pots strategically outdoors to access sunlight but add to the beauty and character of your outdoor spaces.
The following fall flowers for pots will spur a lasting fall mood, a pop of color, and depth and invite nature's tranquil ambiance; that's the spirit of flowers in fall.
Marigold
These hardy annuals can take cool nights and even withstand a light frost. They're really prepared to start the fall season strong, and consequently, make their way into the winter blues. Have you seen their color? To die for, literally. It's the perfect mix of an orange and yellow honeycomb color. Marigold is a famous flower during the annual Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico.
Marigold has a mix of bright yellow and orange tones making it a great addition to your patio. Begin by choosing the right container size and a well-draining potting mix, Plant your Marigold seeds and water them consistently until germination. To avoid crowding, transplant your seedlings to different individual pots, Marigolds can be paired with other pot plants to create a unique contrast and balance of colors.
Camellia
Camellia is a rose that can be grown as a huge tree but also as a potted rose. Depending on the size of your pots or planters, there is always a Camellia variety that will grow well within the available space. Hot Flash and October Magic are two Camellia varieties that can be easily grown as a potted fall flower.
Put on a colorful show within your fall landscape and your outdoor potted plant portfolio with the winter rose Camellia. Provision of enough sunlight access and a bit of shade in the afternoon and a well-draining potting mix are the needed conditions for your potted Camellia to thrive.
Allium
Allium is a perennial flower with long stems and striking bulbs, making it a great addition to your fall flowers portfolio. Alliums are best grown closely in your pots or containers but ensure you leave sufficient space to avoid bulbs touching when your Allium blooms.
Combining Alliums with other fall flowers like the Aster or Daisies will create a well-balanced and colorful fall garden within your potted fall flowers.
Salvia
Salvias can effortlessly add a pop of color to your fall garden with its purple and little shades of blue blooms. Growing in a well-draining potting mix, infrequent watering and exposure to a bit of sunlight should be enough for your Salvia to grow well as a purple fall flower.
Salvia is a hardy perennial flower and can withstand colder conditions of the fall season and also easily tolerate minimal watering. This flower is also attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies due to its shouty color.
When to Plant Fall Flowers
Fall flowers are best planted early enough before the onset of prolonged colder months associated with the fall season. Specifically, planting your fall flower plants 6-8 weeks before the frost dates set in gives them enough time for rooting and acclimation to the environment before it gets colder.
However, it is prudent to consider the conditions of the location you reside in; in some cases, frost dates tend to come early which might impact the growth of your fall flowers. In such a case, consider planting your fall flowers towards the end of summer or immediately after the fall season starts.
Once the fall flowers rooting system is well established, the plant should tolerate and thrive under shorter sunlight presence and longer and colder months at night.
Fall flowers are easy to grow and maintain given the shorter daylight and longer cold months; they ought to thrive under such conditions. The ease of growing and caring for fall flowers gives you a great opportunity to color your garden and indoor spaces to your preference.
Create that cozy, colorful, and popping ambiance with fall-blooming flowers. The 10 fall flowers highlighted above are definitely a must-have in your garden or potted fall flowers.
Header Image by Ollie Craig Pexels Featured Image by @Southlands Nursey
