Fall-blooming flowers for your perennial garden

To have an abundance of fall-blooming perennials in your flower garden, you need to do some planning early in the gardening season. Perennials thrive when planted in late fall so they can be established for spectacular and colorful blooms the following year or early spring. Check the growing zones of each plant. In warm regions, some of these perennials bloom in mid-summer, and in colder regions, they should bloom before frost. Your local nursery or county extension service office can advise. Here are the best fall-blooming flowers for your perennial garden.

1. Leadwort

An aggressively spreading low, perennial groundcover, leadwort (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides) is grown for its true blue flowers and bronze-red leaf color. For winters in cold climates, provide a light winter mulch. Plant in rocky areas in full sun. Space plants 10 to 16 inches apart when you plant. The plant has an invasive root system and spreads freely, however, is not considered invasive

2. Mexican bush sage

Mexican bush sage (Salvia lucantha) or velvet sage is a herbaceous perennial that prefers rich, evenly moist, well-drained soil. It grows 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. Flower stems bear velvety and purple perennial flowers with short-lived white corollas that do not appear until late summer. Showy, bi-colored flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

3. Mums

Mums (chrysanthemums) are a common sight in the fall garden with brilliant and abundant flowers. Although mums are displayed in garden centers in the fall, it's best to put mums in the ground in the spring to establish them before cold weather hits to grow as a perennial. Make sure your plant is well watered, especially in hot weather. Before cold weather, mulch around the planting site to keep the roots warm.

4. New England Aster

Growing 3 to 7 feet tall, New England asters (Symbiotrichum novae-anglia) have large, purple flowers with yellow centers and bloom from August to October. The flowers attract bees and butterflies and make beautiful cut flowers. Cut plants to the ground after flowering to encourage strong new growth.

5. New York Aster/Michaelmas Daisy

New York Aster (Symphyotrichum novi-belgii) blooms with delicate daisy-like flowers that open in late August and last until frost. Pinching the stems back in early summer will turn these plants into dense mounds with dozens of flower buds. Many Asteraceae varieties range from 8 inches to 8 feet; Tall varieties should be stacked to prevent them from falling over.

6. Perennial sunflower

Many gardeners are familiar with annual sunflowers, which can grow up to 12 feet tall and display plate-sized flowers. But Helianthus includes perennial sunflowers that bloom in autumn. Perennials usually produce smaller daisy-like flowers than annuals, but in larger numbers. Types of H. Simulans include H. schwenitzi, H. divaricatus and H. angustifolius.

7. Russian Sage

Russian sage (Salvia yankee) flowers last for weeks, usually in late summer to early fall. Blooms begin slowly, and flower color becomes more brilliant as the smaller flowers open fully. Pruning should be done in late winter to early spring as flowers form on new growth. Choose a planting location with full sun, as too much shade will cause the plants to droop.

8. Strawflower

Strawflower (Xerochrysum bracteatum) or everlasting daisy can be grown as a short-lived tender perennial or as an annual that blooms from late spring to frost. Flowers retain their shape and color when dried and are grown for the dried flower market. Most plants grow 2 to 3 feet tall. Deadhead regularly to encourage side shoots and flowers

9. Sweet alyssum

Sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima) produces a colorful ground cover of small flowers that can be grown from plants or seeds. It can be grown as an annual or perennial plant, but sweet alyssum is a cool-season flower. Most varieties wilt in the heat but bloom again in the fall.