As the warm hues of autumn settle in, the right plant choices can keep gardens looking vibrant, textured, and alive even as summer fades. At Practical Plants, we understand how essential seasonal blooms are in creating a dynamic landscape that adapts gracefully throughout the year. Here, we’ll explore some stunning autumn plants and share essential tips for keeping them at their best, so you can delight clients with gardens that flourish well into the colder months.
- Chrysanthemums: The Autumn Superstar
Chrysanthemums are one of the most recognisable autumn blooms, with their richly saturated colours ranging from deep reds to vivid yellows and purples. They’re versatile and suitable for adding structured colour blocks, borders, or accents in any landscape. Remember, grouping is key. Plant chrysanthemums in clusters to create strong, bold statements in garden beds or along borders. Also consider pairing them with ornamental grasses or bronze-hued foliage for a stunning contrast that brings out the brightness of the blooms.
Care Tips to Share with Clients:
Chrysanthemums thrive with regular deadheading, so encourage clients to remove spent blooms to extend their flowering season.
- Asters: For a Burst of Blue
Asters offer a more delicate option for autumn colour with their daisy-like, star-shaped flowers in shades of purple, blue, and pink. They’re ideal for adding softer, cooler tones to the landscape, creating a balanced contrast with the warm reds and oranges typical of fall.
Asters work wonderfully in wildflower-style settings or as part of a naturalistic garden design.
Use them as filler plants in borders and mixed beds. They’re perfect for softening the edges of more structured areas. Deadheading will keep the plant looking tidy and encourage a longer flowering period. If aphids or powdery mildew appear, a gentle soapy spray can help keep pests and diseases in check.
- Sedum (Autumn Joy): The Reliable Filler
Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ is a fantastic autumn performer, with its fleshy, succulent leaves and large, broccoli-like flower clusters that gradually change from pale pink to a rich russet-red as the season progresses. Sedums bring texture and a fascinating colour gradient as they mature, ideal for borders or mixed beds. Sedums add depth and texture to a planting scheme. Their sturdy stems and flower heads also provide excellent structure as other plants start to fade. They pair well with ornamental grasses, which add movement and texture against Sedum’s solid form.
- Explain to clients that autumn may bring browning foliage, which can simply be trimmed back at the season’s end to promote healthy new growth in spring.
- Japanese Anemones: Elegant, Late-Season Blooms
Japanese anemones are another wonderful addition to the autumn palette, with delicate, poppy-like flowers in shades of white, pink, and purple that sway atop tall, slender stems. These flowers add a romantic, airy quality to garden designs, especially in more shaded areas where other plants might struggle. Japanese anemones work beautifully as a backdrop plant, adding height and elegance without overwhelming the scene.
They’re perfect for woodland gardens or lightly shaded borders, especially alongside ferns and hostas. As they tend to spread, clients should be advised that they may want to contain the plant’s growth by dividing the root clumps every few years.
- Ornamental Grasses: The Unsung Heroes of Autumn
Ornamental grasses, such as Miscanthus, Pennisetum, and Panicum, bring unparalleled movement, texture, and structure to autumn landscapes. Their feathery plumes and golden hues add warmth and interest, especially as sunlight filters through in early morning or late afternoon. Use ornamental grasses to create rhythm and flow within the landscape. Their graceful movement provides a counterpoint to more rigid plant forms.
They pair well with autumnal perennials like sedums and asters, adding layers of texture and colour that draw the eye throughout the garden. Let clients know to leave grasses standing throughout autumn and winter, as they add winter interest and provide a habitat for wildlife.
- Helenium: The Fiery Splash of Autumn
With its warm orange, red, and yellow tones, Helenium (also known as sneezeweed) provides that essential ‘fire’ colour that’s perfect for autumn displays. Helenium is a wonderful way to introduce rich hues and extend the life of garden borders. Helenium is ideal for adding brightness to the middle of borders, bridging the gap between taller backdrop plants and low-growing fillers. Consider pairing Helenium with purple asters for a high-contrast, vibrant autumn palette. Regular watering and light fertilising can keep these blooms looking vivid and healthy well into autumn.
Autumn flowers and foliage provide a rich palette and texture that can transform any outdoor space into a seasonal masterpiece. By selecting plants that thrive in cooler weather, landscape designers can create gardens that captivate long past the summer months. Practical Plants is here to support you in finding the highest quality plants to bring your autumn visions to life. With these tips on plant care, your clients can enjoy vibrant, lasting beauty even as the season transitions.
Talk to us today about how we can help you with Autumn flowers for your next garden design.