Pat Howell

The Colors of Autumn

August 2002

Late summer can be an awkward time in the garden. The foliage of early summer has become ragged, many flowers are spent yet still with us, and the plants are generally thinning out. Perennial gardens often take a bit of a snooze during the month of August. The night temperature often does not drop much below the daytime temperature. Hot days and hot nights can put plants into a summer sleepiness, or dormancy, but the hot days and cool nights of September/October allow plants to expand their root system, yet rest at night, thus storing up energy that will be critical come spring.

Remember what Easy Gardener has taught you about your new plants: "First year, sleep; second year, creep; third year, leap!" Now you know where plants are getting that energy to creep and leap. And the more water you can give your plants during hot days, the more those plants will reward you next spring.

Another of Mother Nature's gifts: the gradual changes in the weather as we move toward late fall allow the shrubs and peren-nials the opportunity to harden off before winter's onset, when they really sleep.

You may find August the month for cut-ting back "tired" plants that have finished blooming, and for dead-leafing any scorched customers (there will be plenty of those this year).

Autumn more than compensates for the miseries of summer, particularly weather-wise. And color-wise, the perennials and shrubs of autumn go into high gear with a pyrotechnic display...however brief. Shrubs that form a green backdrop to the perennials and annuals of summer turn into a crayola-box display of red, magenta, pink, burgundy, yellow and some brilliant orange thrown in.

A great fall garden perennial is Anemone japonica. Henry Mitchell, the late Washington Post garden writer, talked about the fall-blooming anemone: "Once you have it, you have it. There is no question of replacing it every few years. It spreads moderately but is not invasive, and so far as I have seen it is not bothered by mildew, viruses or bugs."

From a tuft of basal leaves, anemones send up flower stalks three or four feet high with many buds that open over a period of several weeks. The individual flowers are about the size of silver dollars, either white (Honorine Jobert), rose pink (September Charm), clear medium pink (Queen Char-lotte), deep raspberry rose (Margarete), or silvery pink (J. Richard Arends and Vitifolia robustissima), with conspicuous yellow stamens at the center. There are also semi-double forms. All bloom for about 6 weeks, and by planting different selections that vary in bloom time, you can have a show from July to October.

Anemones can appear late in spring, so mark the spot well to avoid digging them up each year. They resent being moved, though you can divide it as soon as they appear by pulling apart the fibrous root ball and keeping the soil well moistened after replanting.

Plant anemones behind hostas and behind the great aster Raydon's Favorite, which will tolerate a bit of shade. Raydon's is medium-blue, blooms late in the season, survives hard freezes, and has mint-scented foliage. It is vigorous and trouble-free. Give yourself at least a foot between the anemones, hostas, and astersÑeven two feet. Each are spreaders. Plan their association as follows: in your shady border, plant anemones at the back, with one or two pulled slightly forward for contrast in height; plant asters next at a safe distance in front; and plant the hostas in the near front. Arrange them so that the asters can be pulled up, divided into fresh clumps, and replanted without disturbing the anemones. Asters occur naturally in open woods, thickets and clearings (partial shade). Give the anemone the shadier position. Anemones do not like drought, so give them a good blanket of leaf mulch and replenish as needed.

Anemone "Honorine Jober' also marries well with hydrangea "Nikko Blue", and hydrangea quercifolia, the oaklea hydrangea. Hydrangeas are woodland plants and they look "right" when grown in dappled shade in naturalistic gardens. They play an architectural role: a pair can frame a gate-way or path, define a vista, or a single specimen can be created as a focal point. If you have the space, nothing beats a mass of oakleaf hydrangea. Invaluable for their late-summer flowers, they continue to look good all winter; the flower heads generally deepening in color with maturity and remaining decorative with exfoliating bark in winter, and bold maroon leaves throughout the cold months until pruning time in spring. As an added bonus, most hydrangea flowers are well suited to drying for indoor arrangements.

Community Resource: Takoma's Gardening email group has over 100 members and is open to everyone. Giveaways, advice and news of gardening events are posted. To join, write to harristakoma@erols.com.

Pat Howell is a Takoma Park gardener and landscape designer/contractor, and welcomes comments, advice, suggestions. She is available for handholding and answering questions through Deephaven Landscapers.