"A Swash of Fall Color"

Story & photos by Carolyn Singer, Foothill Cottage Gardens
Sierra Heritage, Sep./Oct. 1991

Pineapple sage, both beautiful and edible (try it in a fruit sald or your favorite barbeque sauce), is a hummingbird favorite.

The transition between summer splendor and winter dormancy can be colorfully bridged by planting fall flowers. The fall garden creates a special, transitional mood. With cooler days and nights, colors change and plant growth is slowed. Some color changes are dynamic, such as the red maple (Acer rubrum) and the dogwood (Cornus florida); other hue variations are more subtle—the shift from pink to coppery-orange of the Sedum ‘Autumn Joy' blossoms, and the foliage of the Heliopsis, which has flowered all summer, turns soft yellows. With the transformation of the seasons, fall-blooming perennial flowers are a refreshing surprise at summer's end. Since most other blossoms have dwindled, a distinct fall garden border can be created for the late bloomers. For a vibrant color grouping, plant the perennials near a winged euonymus (Euonymus alata) or Nandina. Helianthus angustifolius grows in a robust manner all summer, forming a multi-branched upright plant with dark green narrow leaves covering the sturdy stalks. Glowing yellow-gold single daisies open along the stems in late summer, and continue this spectacular show into fall. Full sun is the best exposure for this perennial, and deep watering every week or two is recommended.

If you pick the 12 to 18 inches of the center stalk of Helianthus angustifolius (they last a long time), side shoots will bloom heavily. As for most cut flowers, pick early in the morning after irrigating the previous day, and immediately place the flowers in warm water (105 degrees F). If the flowers are placed in a cool room after picking, they will last without any additives to the vase water.

The scarlet flowers of pineapple sage (Salvia elegans) do not open until fall, and are a hummingbird favorite. This Salvia is a relative of common sage, although this plant definitely demands rich soil and regular irrigation.

Pineapple sage is a hardy perennial for foothill gardens below 2,500 foot altitude. In the higher regions, winter may damage the root, causing only a few shoots to form the following spring. Plant in full summer and fall sun. Starting from a young plant (usually available in the nursery's herb section in the spring), Pineapple sage will provide you and the hummingbirds a large plant by fall.

Pineapple sage exudes the fragrance of fresh pineapple when the leaves are crushed, and can be used for culinary accents. Try a few leaves in a barbecue sauce, or for an unusual touch, mix with a fruit salad. The flowers, too, are edible, and make a delightful addition to a green salad. Blossoms may be cut for bouquets but are fragile and do not last long.

The blossoms of Sedum (top of photo) change from pink to coppery orange in the fall. Hardy asters bloom from September through October and are ideal as cut flowers.

Michaelmas daisies are hardy aster (Aster novae-angliae or New England aster) with a progression of bloom from September through October. An excellent cut flower, the latest to bloom is Aster novae-angliae 'Harrington Pink,' graced with a soft pink color. By providing asters quality garden soil and irrigating once a week, each year the plant will be more robust by sprouting additional flower stalks.

For semi-shade areas, the best late bloomer is the Japanese anemone or windflower (Anemone japonica and Anemone hupehensis). The foliage is attractive during the summer, and its delicate flowers are unusually striking. Once established, this vigorous grower is considered a pest by gardeners who have limited space. Japanese anemone, however, is easily controlled in the small shade garden, yet is the perfect plant for spreading naturally in a larger woodland garden.

When the Japanese anemone has finished blooming, leave the fading flowers, and if fall rains don't interfere, seeds will form in what appears to be a fluffy ball of cotton. On a beautiful Indian summer day, the fall breezes will pull apart this unusual head and scatter the seeds to the four directions.

A blooming fall garden provides a peaceful transition from the intense growing season of summer to the dormant stages of winter. And of course, fall is the perfect time to contemplate next year's plantings while resting on a garden bench, watching humming birds feed on pineapple sage.