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Marigolds are ideal for fall flower gardens since they will flower late into the season.
Mums are perhaps the most popular flower to use during the autumn months.
Coleus plants are a good non-flowering option for gardens during the fall.
Mums are hearty plants that require very basic care.
Marigolds are ideal for fall flower gardens since they will flower late into the season.
Mums are perhaps the most popular flower to use during the autumn months.
Coleus plants are a good non-flowering option for gardens during the fall.
Mums are hearty plants that require very basic care.
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WV News) — As summer winds down, there is still plenty of flower gardening to be done over the next couple months.
One of the best places to start would be with mums, a sort of fan favorite flower that has shown up at stores everywhere.
This easy access paired with simple care requirements can help brighten gardens or porches well into fall.
“Most people buy mums as potted plants that they set on their porch, so primary care on them is just keeping them watered and possibly using a little all-purpose fertilizer every couple of weeks to keep them vibrant and healthy,” said John Murray, West Virginia University Extension agent for Taylor County.
“Mums are kind of general. Just keep them watered and usually they like partial shade instead of direct sunlight. Most people have them on their porch anyway, so they’re not going to get direct sunlight. I think mums are probably the easiest fall flowers. I don’t think you’re going to kill them unless you don’t water them,” said Jody Carpenter, WVU Extension agent for agriculture and natural resources for Barbour and Randolph counties.
While easy to care for, there are some extra steps to help mums look better even longer.
“As the blooms die off, just pick those blooms off and sometimes you can get that plant to produce a new flower,” Carpenter said.
“Some people do have success overwintering them. After they’re done on their porch or wherever, they put them in the ground and keep them fairly protected throughout the winter and they’ll have some germination in the spring,” he said.
A variety of other plants will flower into the fall as well, experts said.
“There’s a lot of things you can plant that will flower into fall. For instance, zinnias are great. They’ll just keep going all the way until the first frost. ... There’s probably 20-30 different types of zinnias you can pick out to plant in your garden. Maybe now would be a good time to think about that for next season,” said David Davis, Ph.D., gardener for the West Virginia Botanic Garden in Morgantown.
“A lot of the annuals that we plant like marigolds are great because they’ll keep blooming until the first frost. ... Another one would be the Mexican torch sunflower. It’s a very nice flower with beautiful orange petals. It’ll start blooming in July and keep blooming into October. ... Another great example is dahlias,” Davis said.
Experts also suggest some leafy plants such as coleus, some ferns and ajuga.
Regardless of your plants of choice, fertilizer should be used during the fall months.
“With fall flowers, what you’re looking for is some bright colors. So you have to make sure that in addition to regular fertilizer, you need to also ensure that there are trace minerals — things like copper and manganese and other stuff. A brand name is Miracle Gro. There’s a lot of generic fertilizers as well,” said Bill Shockey, Extension agent for agriculture and natural resources for Preston County.
“Those trace minerals are involved in the color-forming units in the petals, so you want to be sure that they’re in there,” Shockey said. “Water is generally more critical. ... Typically our rainfall slacks off and things can dry out very quickly.”
Shockey also noted the importance of ensuring that plants can handle the cooler nights that become more and more common in October.
“You need to check the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) hardiness zone map. The lower the number, the higher hardiness the plant must be, so that’s one of the first things to look at,” Shockey said.
“Over here in Preston County, we need to make sure they’ll handle a five or six. Along the Interstate 79 corridor, you could get away with a zone seven, which is a little bit warmer,” Shockey said.
Aside from some planting, fall is a prime time to plan ahead to get a head start on the spring.
“As you head into fall and even now in September, now is a good time to consider things such as if you think your peonies might do better in a sunnier spot, for instance. Like I did here at my house, I moved them around and created a little bed where I thought they’d get more sun,” Davis said.
“For folks who want to see a really great display of spring bulbs, now is absolutely the time to place a tulip order or daffodils or crocuses. There’s just so many different spring bulbs. ... You’d typically plant them at the end of October or November,” Davis said.
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