Peonies head my list of worthwhile perennials which prefer fall planting.
They are always such appealing subjects, from the time the bright red shoots appear in spring until heavy with superb blooms in May and June, that I rejoice in living in a part of the country where they grow and flower well.
Fortunately, it is possible to buy many of the highest-rated peonies at modest prices.
Festiva Maxima
One of the earliest to open in my garden is the old favorite Festiva Maxima, a full double, white, with flecks of crimson in the center. For cutting and for its lasting qualities in the garden, I choose Mons. Jules Elie, a favorite since its introduction in 1888.
Its blooms are large, light rose-pink, silvery toward the center, which is high and surrounded by broad guard petals.
Walter Faxon
Walter Faxon, another inexpensive reliable, is rose-pink deepening toward the center. Therese is another shade of pink, with the edges of the center petals paling to a satiny white. The blooms, though large, have a delicacy that is most appealing.
Kelway’s Glorious
Kelway’s Glorious, a truly glorious white when well grown, is richly fragrant and late flowering. Myrtle Gentry, a light pink that matures nearly pure white, has tea rose perfume.
Philippe Rivoire, a rich, bright crimson, is still considered one of the top reds. It is moderately priced and makes an excellent show flower.
Solange
Solange is one of those beauties worth waiting for to open. The creamy white flowers take on tints of buff and salmon pink. Tourangelle also is noted for its salmon tints and delicate shading in the large, flat flowers.
Perhaps the pure white Le Cygne gives me the most pleasure of all for the perfect form in which each feathery petal folds over the next in symmetry.
Japanese Singles or Semi-Doubles
The Japanese singles or semi-doubles are grown principally for cut flowers, although they, too, are attractive in the garden. The large open blooms, like poppies, make striking arrangements.
Isani Gidui is a prized white, with a center of golden stamens, while Kinsui is salmon pink, with a golden center. Tamateboku, a lighter, China pink, also has a yellow center.
Oriental Poppies
Oriental poppies have a high priority on the gardener’s fall planting list and may be chosen with confidence for the most effective and spectacular accents among the bearded iris in May and June.
Many of the colors are bold and brilliant, and if not carefully placed, might prove clashing rather than pleasing. The large-flowered singles are favored as more graceful than the doubles, although the latter has some advocates.
G.I. Joe
G. I. Joe, a rich, rose red without a hint of orange, brings the richness of coloring among blue and white iris.
Wild gypsy effects are possible with such scarlet poppies as Surprise, Curtis Giant Flame, Buckeye Red, and Carmen planted with yellow and gold iris. Arthur Curtis is a deep red, with large flowers that remain long in bloom.
Glowing Rose
The rosy shades blend well with beauty-bush and weigelas, blue and pastel-tinted iris, sweet rockets, and other perennials.
Glowing Rose, though not the most recent, is a choice. Sonate, Rose Glow, and Sultana are worth consideration. Softer color is found in Spring Morn, flesh pink, and in Curtis Giant Flesh Pink.
The latter may fade in the hot sun, but even so, it is an unusual tint. Raspberry Queen is truly unique, a gorgeous color and large flower, best grown in light shade or cut in the bud.
Japanese Iris
Early fall is a good time to set out or transplant Japanese iris in soil that is free from lime. It must also be moist and have ample humus. Plants grown in full sun in my garden have done better than those lightly shaded.
A dressing of rotted manure has been helpful, and a mulch of peat moss protects new set plants from winter heaving.
Purple Shade Varieties
Varieties in rich purple shades, like Royal Sapphire, Night Music, the Higo iris Hisakata, Summer Storm, and many others, are most desirable among pale yellow iris.
One of the most beautiful plantings I know of is a Japanese iris of many varieties, from white through rose, blue, and purple, covering the sloping banks of a small stream.
Bearded Iris
While bearded iris transplant better and will give more bloom when set out in July and August, they may be planted in fall if given a winter mulch.
Without the rainbow tints of this charming perennial, the garden would be lacking indeed in its season of bloom in May and June.
Daylilies
Then there are daylilies. In some sections of the country, notably the south, autumn is the best time to plant this perennial because the soil is more moist.
There are other parts of the country (my own, for example) where fall planting may not be successful unless plants are kept watered until established, and a mulch is placed around the fans of foliage to prevent heaving.
Too deep planting can be unfortunate, since it may cause plants to rot.
Outstanding Daylily Varieties
The most recent daylily introductions are scarce, in considerable demand, and high priced. Yet there are many excellent daylilies that are reasonably priced.
These range in color from light yellow to dark red and in size from the two-inch flower of Golden Chimes and those of golden-orange Thumbelina to very large Cibola and others.
Plants of varying heights may be selected from five-foot Autumn Minaret to the other extreme of dwarf, bright red-flowered Jack.
Daylily colors are hard to describe; hence selections from catalogs are difficult for the uninitiated. It is preferable, whenever possible, to visit nurseries and test gardens to see the plants in bloom.
Early flowering plants, like perennial candytuft or iberis, may be planted in early fall for drifts of white among spring bulbs.
Iberis must be replaced frequently in my garden, but it is worth the effort. Doronicum or Leopard Bane, another meriting replacement when necessary, is grown for its daisy-like, bright yellow flowers. I have tried a number of species and named varieties, and all proved similar.
Perennial flax or Linum needs frequent renewal and is another early-blooming plant to start in the fall. New beds of lily-of-the-valley may be set out now and given a mulch of compost or old manure.
Old plantings may be thinned, and extra pips set out wherever additional ground covers are wanted.
Anchusa for Spring
Dainty, spring-flowering anchusa (Brunnera macrophylla) grows about a foot high, and in cherry blossom time, its brilliant blue, forget-me-not flowers are opened.
Given a little encouragement, it will seed itself. In some sections, it is reported to become a nuisance.
Trilliums
Somewhat later to bloom is the white-flowered, frosty foliage snow-in-summer or cerastium. It may spread, as is its habit, and can be separated or new plants ordered for fall.
Trilliums may be ordered from nurseries (not dug from the woods) to plant in masses on well-drained slopes in the wildflower garden. The large-flowered white (Trillium grandiflorum) is my favorite.
Either the plumy or the taller growing old-fashioned bleeding-hearts planted in fall will give early spring bloom. Bountiful, a new hybrid of the plumy type, is highly recommended to give bloom over a long period.
Thalictrum or Meadow Rue
Thalictrum or meadow-rue is excellent for its decorative foliage and dainty, fluffy blooms in May or June. The columbine meadow-rue (T. aquilegifolium) has rose-purple flowers, while T. glaucum, with blue-green foliage, has fragrant fluffy flower heads of vivid yellow.
Bee Balm
Old-fashioned bee balm or monarda is an amiable subject and a good choice where space is- ample.
The brilliant red Cambridge Scarlet and Croftway Pink, in different locations, have spread to form bold masses of color in my garden. More brilliant is the newer variety of Mahogany.
Veronica Royal Blue
Veronica Royal Blue opens in spring with bright blue flowers on dwarf plants. Crater Lake Blue, Blue Peter, and Blue Champion are good among the taller sorts. Icicle is an excellent white. Minuet is a brilliant rose-pink with gray-green foliage.
Veronica holophylla is a novelty, with foot-high growth bearing thick spikes of indigo blue above glossy foliage.
Balloon Flowers
Balloon flowers are valuable perennials for blooming with daylilies and other summer blooming items.
Blue-and-white-flowered single forms of Platycodon grandiflorum have lived for years in my garden. The deep blue P. mariesi is a dwarf, while P. grandiflorum may grow to three feet.
We prefer to plant the named varieties of the double-flowering Bristol Blue Bird series in spring. Morden Pink and Morden Gleam lythrums may be set out for bright color late in summer.
Hibiscus will provide large flowers in good colors and a tall background for other plantings.
The rugged gaillardias may be grown for a wealth of all-summer cut flowers for informal use. The Warrior begins blooming for me in May and continues until frost. The flowers are rich red bronze.
Move Christmas Rose Now
According to experts, October is the best time to transplant or plant the Christmas rose (Helleborus lager).
I always remember the thrill I received when I received a box of plants in bud that bloomed one fall when I expected only a bare plant. After planting, the buds continued to open and lasted until nearly Christmas.
Hardy phlox is set out, as a rule, as small plants in spring. If clumps can be secured in the fall, they will ensure more color than single plants. Fall has been a good time in my garden to shift those with jarring colors.
The white Miss Lingard is grown for early bloom, while Mary Louise and White Admiral form much-prized clumps of white. Elizabeth Arden is pink, and Sir John Falstaff is salmon pink.
44659 by Mary C. Seckman