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I hear so many people lamenting the end of summer when Labor Day arrives, but for me, this is the beginning of one of my favorite times of year in the garden. The weather is cool and crisp, there are no biting bugs, and most of the annual weeds have finished sprouting.
While I can see the beauty of the foliage and seed heads of my perennials that have finished flowering, some of my flowers are just hitting their stride now. So don't despair; its not over yet!
SEDUM AUTUMN JOY
Here are some of the beauties in my garden right now that you might want to consider adding to your garden next year.
Helenium has the unfortunate common name of sneezeweed, and I don't know why. Its pollen is heavy and carried by insects, not wind-borne like ragweed, so it doesn't make you sneeze. Sometimes, it's listed as Helens Flower, but if you stick with Helenium, you can't go wrong. It's quite tall, needs full sun and produces lots of 1-to-2 inch flowers in bright shades of yellow, orange and orange-red, just perfect for fall.
I've always said that no sunny perennial garden should be without some Sedum Autumn Joy.
There are other varieties to consider, too, including Matrona and Black Knight and even Autumn Fire. The plant looks good all summer then gradually produces large flower heads that turn from green to pink to bronze and remain standing well into winter.
I like to plant annuals in my perennial gardens to even out the flower show, and some of my best efforts come from the plants I start later. The annuals I set out in May have done well but are starting to fade a bit, while the later ones are in full bloom right now.
One of my favorite zinnias doesn't look much like a zinnia at all. It's a low, spreading, bedding-type zinnia called Profusion. You can buy the seeds either as a mix or in individual colors. It grows only about a foot tall and spreads nicely along the front of the flower bed. It doesn't need deadheading like most annuals, and mine have been in full color since late July and show no sign of letting up. The seeds are expensive but worth it to me. Its only drawback is the short stems aren't nearly as nice in flower arrangements as are the traditional zinnias. Benarys Giant is my current favorite zinnia for cutting.
TRY NICOTIANA
In the rich soil we all strive for in our gardens, nasturtiums tend to produce mostly leaves with few flowers. The variety Alaska has beautiful variegated foliage, so even if you get mostly leaves, they add a lot to your garden. Give them room to spread or they'll grow over all their neighboring plants and onto your lawn.
Lastly, if you haven't grown Nicotiana (flowering tobacco) in a while, I suggest you give it another try. The original varieties have a wonderful scent that is most pronounced in the evening. Newer varieties such as Nikki have lost this scent, so I avoid that one. I'm currently growing Heaven Scent, and it's working out well. It's about 30 inches tall and perfumes the air along our driveway in the evening, giving me a treat on the nights I come home late from a meeting. Only The Lonely is heavily scented, too, but the plants are huge, reaching 6 feet in height and about 3 feet across.
Amy Ivy is executive director of Cornell Cooperative Extension, Clinton County. Office phone numbers: Clinton County 561-7450, Essex County 962-4810, Franklin County 483-7403. Web site: http://www.cce.cornell.edu/ecgardening. E-mail questions to askMG@cornell.edu.
